Abstract: The present invention involves coatings deposited on a substrate including a layer having a selected resistivity. The resistive layer can serve as a heat source in a variety of applications and can be fabricated using an arc plasma spraying procedure.

Abstract: The present invention involves coatings deposited on a substrate including a layer having a selected resistivity. The resistive layer can serve as a heat source in a variety of applications and can be fabricated using an arc plasma spraying procedure.

Abstract: A refiner element (10) for the refining of fibrous material is provided with a comminuting surface of which at least a portion comprises an abrasive surface. The method of forming the refiner element (10) comprises casting a metal substrate (20) having a frontal surface (22), melting a relatively thin layer of the metal substrate on the frontal surface thereof to form a molten pool in the comminuting surface over the region thereof on which an abrasive surface is desired, depositing an abrasive material (38) into the molten pool formed in the metal comminuting surface (22) of the refiner element (10), and allowing the molten metal pool into which the abrasive material (38) has been deposited to solidify whereby the particles of abrasive material (38) are strongly bonded into the metal surface of the refining element to form the abrasive comminuting surface thereon.

Abstract: The efficiency of fossil fuel combustion equipment, such as engines, furnaces, boilers, and the like, is improved by introducing organic reactive intermediates to the air-fuel mixture prior to ignition. The presence of the reactive intermediates with the fuel improves the combustion reaction by an apparent alteration of the molecular structure of the fuel, resulting in a very high percentage of burning of the fuel. In one embodiment the reactive intermediates are generated from a suitable source compound, such as acetone, which is exposed to a source of ultraviolet radiation thereby converting the acetone into a short-lived, free radical. The short-lived, free radical is then converted into a longer-lived radical by combining it with heavier hydrocarbon molecules. The secondary free radicals are introduced to the air-fuel mixture in advance of the ignition point to improve the combustion reaction.