Abstract: A planetary gearset includes a sun gear member having a sun gear body made of a steel material and an outer periphery with a plurality of teeth formed thereon. Each of the sun gear teeth has at least one mating surface for engaging mating surfaces on complementary teeth on at least one planet gear. A fatigue-resistant coating is applied to the mating surfaces of the sun gear teeth. The coating is harder and more abrasive than the mating surfaces of the planet gear teeth.

Abstract: A metallic nanowire having an aspect ratio of at least 100 and a diameter less than 200 nanometers composed of at least one of bismuth, indium, tin, lead, zinc, antimony and alloys of the same and a method of making the same from a thin film composite.

Abstract: A metallic nanowire having an aspect ratio of at least 100 and a diameter less than 200 nanometers composed of at least one of bismuth, indium, tin, lead, zinc, antimony and alloys of the same and a method of making the same from a thin film composite.

Abstract: A self-healing tribological surface comprises a shape memory material. The self-healing tribological surface can be used for recovering a scratches and/or indentations in the surface. Processes for recovering scratches or indentations generally comprises forming a shape memory material onto the surface; scratching or indenting the surface; and heating an area about the scratch or indentation, wherein a depth of the scratch or the indentation decreases after heating as compared to the depth prior to heating.

Abstract: A material and method for adhering at least two materials that includes the step of interposing at least one intermediate layer between the two materials and associated adhesion material. The materials to be adhered exhibit at least one characteristic dissimilarity and the intermediate material interposed contains at least one shape memory alloy, the shape memory alloy capable of exhibiting superelasticity.

Abstract: A metallic nanowire having an aspect ratio of at least 100 and a diameter less than 200 nanometers composed of at least one of bismuth, indium, tin, lead, zinc, antimony and alloys of the same and a method of making the same from a thin film composite.

Abstract: A metallic nanowire having an aspect ratio of at least 100 and a diameter less than 200 nanometers composed of at least one of bismuth, indium, tin, lead, zinc, antimony and alloys of the same and a method of making the same from a thin film composite.

Abstract: A releasable fastener system comprises a loop portion and a hook portion. The loop portion includes a support and a loop material disposed on one side thereof. The hook portion includes a support and a plurality of closely spaced upstanding hook elements extending from one side thereof, wherein the plurality of hook elements comprises a fiber and a shape memory alloy coating deposited onto the fiber, and wherein the fiber and the shape memory alloy coating comprises a non-axisymmetric coating or deposition of the shape memory alloy about a portion of the fiber. When the hook portion and loop portion are pressed together they interlock to form a releasable engagement. The resulting joint created by the engagement is relatively resistant to shear and pull forces and weak in peel strength forces.

Abstract: A releasable fastener system comprises a loop portion and a hook portion. The loop portion includes a support and a loop material disposed on one side thereof. The hook portion includes a support and a plurality of closely spaced upstanding hook elements extending from one side thereof, wherein the plurality of hook elements comprises a fiber and a shape memory alloy coating deposited onto the fiber, and wherein the fiber and the shape memory alloy coating comprises a non-axisymmetric coating or deposition of the shape memory alloy about a portion of the fiber. When the hook portion and loop portion are pressed together they interlock to form a releasable engagement. The resulting joint created by the engagement is relatively resistant to shear and pull forces and weak in peel strength forces.

Abstract: A planetary gearset includes a sun gear member having a sun gear body made of a steel material and an outer periphery with a plurality of teeth formed thereon. Each of the sun gear teeth has at least one mating surface for engaging mating surfaces on complementary teeth on at least one planet gear. A fatigue-resistant coating is applied to the mating surfaces of the sun gear teeth. The coating is harder and more abrasive than the mating surfaces of the planet gear teeth.

Abstract: An electrically conductive fluid distribution element for a fuel cell which comprises an electrically conductive substrate, a flow field for distributing fluid along a surface of the substrate, and an electrically conductive coating on the surface which comprises a noble metal, desirably Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Ir, Pt, Os, and preferably Au.

Abstract: A low friction, low contact resistance coating for electrical terminal members, especially members made of copper base alloys and low carbon steel alloys and plastics, is formed of a coarse electroplate of tin or silver characterized by grains having an average dimension in the range of about 0.5 to 10 micrometers where such grains carry very small particles of polytetrafluoroethylene or the like having average diameters in the range up to about 0.30 micrometers.

Abstract: An electrical terminal is disclosed where the terminal is formed of an electrically-conductive metal substrate such as copper alloys, aluminum alloys or stainless steel with the substrate having a codeposited composite coating of titanium nitride and gold or silver on the surface. The coating provides wear resistance in high temperature and vibration environments while retaining and demonstrating low friction and low contact resistance properties.

Abstract: A thin film hydrogen sensor, includes: a substantially flat ceramic substrate with first and second planar sides and a first substrate end opposite a second substrate end; a thin film temperature responsive resistor on the first planar side of the substrate proximate to the first substrate end; a thin film hydrogen responsive metal resistor on the first planar side of the substrate proximate to the fist substrate end and proximate to the temperature responsive resistor; and a heater on the second planar side of the substrate proximate to the first end.

Abstract: A thin film silver-nickel coating for use as a protective coating on electrical terminals of separable electrical connectors. The silver-nickel coating is a silver-nickel nano-composite material characterized by silver and nickel grains having an average grain size of about five to about fifty nanometers, yielding a silver-rich phase and a harder nickel-rich phase as a result of silver and nickel being immiscible. In accordance with this invention, the volume fraction of nickel significantly influences the fretting wear resistance of the coating, with a preferred nickel content being resulting in the presence of disconnected islands of the nickel phase dispersed within a relatively softer silver matrix.

Abstract: A sensor for hydrogen is disclosed comprising an electrically insulating substrate carrying a thin amorphous film of co-deposited nickel and zirconium and an overlying film of palladium wherein during the operation of the sensor, hydrogen in a sample gas is dissociated on the palladium film and diffuses into the nickel-zirconium film to change its electrical resistance in proportion to the amount of hydrogen in the sample to be analyzed.

Abstract: A method of forming friction-reducing and wear-resistant silver/molybdenum coating material by co-depositing quantities of silver and molybdenum simultaneously forming nano-crystalline binary mixtures on iron surfaces.