Abstract: A method of surface treatment of an electrically conductive workpiece includes applying a powder coating to the workpiece in a green state before being welded to the workpiece using ESD. The coating is a heterogenous mixed powder of electrically conductive particles. It may be a High Entropy Alloy having at least five elements, each being 5% to 35% atomic fraction of the mixture. The welding occurs at contacts of less than 10 J. The powder may be formed as a slurry, whether in an aqueous solution or with a binder; and may be applied as a slurry or as a paste. It may be applied to non-flat and non-horizontal surfaces. Once deposited, it may be peened after ESD arcing. The ESD applicator may use a welding rod that is of a different material from either the powder mixture or the workpiece.

Abstract: A pre-coated steel sheet wherein at least a region at the periphery (7) of at least one (6a,6b) of the opposite faces (6a,6b) of said pre-coated sheet (1,1?) is coated with an additional coating (8) selected for increasing the vapor pressure between the pre-coating (2) and said additional coating (8) during a laser welding method up to a critical pressure at which the pre-coating (2) is ejected away from the weld (14). Preferably, the vaporization temperature of the additional coating (8) is greater than the vaporization temperature of the pre-coating (2) and the additional coating includes gammagene elements like carbon and/or nickel. A steel part obtained by laser welding, preferably butt laser welding, of at least a first and second pre-coated steel sheet (1,1?) as above indicated is also provided.

Abstract: A method for treating a material comprising: applying energy to a predetermined portion of the material in a controlled manner such that the local chemistry of the predetermined portion is altered to provide a predetermined result. When the material is a shape memory material, the predetermined result may be to provide an additional memory to the predetermined portion or to alter the pseudo-elastic properties of the shape memory material. In other examples, which are not necessarily restricted to shape memory materials, the process may be used to adjust the concentration of components at the surface to allow the formation of an oxide layer at the surface of the material to provide corrosion resistance; to remove contaminants from the material; to adjust surface texture; or to generate at least one additional phase particle in the material to provide a nucleation site for grain growth, which in turn, can strengthen the material.

Abstract: A method for treating a material comprising: applying energy to a predetermined portion of the material in a controlled manner such that the local chemistry of the predetermined portion is altered to provide a predetermined result. When the material is a shape memory material, the predetermined result may be to provide an additional memory to the predetermined portion or to alter the pseudo-elastic properties of the shape memory material. In other examples, which are not necessarily restricted to shape memory materials, the process may be used to adjust the concentration of components at the surface to allow the formation of an oxide layer at the surface of the material to provide corrosion resistance; to remove contaminants from the material; to adjust surface texture; or to generate at least one additional phase particle in the material to provide a nucleation site for grain growth, which in turn, can strengthen the material.

Abstract: A method for treating a material comprising: applying energy to a predetermined portion of the material in a controlled manner such that the local chemistry of the predetermined portion is altered to provide a predetermined result. When the material is a shape memory material, the predetermined result may be to provide an additional memory to the predetermined portion or to alter the pseudo-elastic properties of the shape memory material. In other examples, which are not necessarily restricted to shape memory materials, the process may be used to adjust the concentration of components at the surface to allow the formation of an oxide layer at the surface of the material to provide corrosion resistance; to remove contaminants from the material; to adjust surface texture; or to generate at least one additional phase particle in the material to provide a nucleation site for grain growth, which in turn, can strengthen the material.

Abstract: A method for treating a material comprising: applying energy to a predetermined portion of the material in a controlled manner such that the local chemistry of the predetermined portion is altered to provide a predetermined result. When the material is a shape memory material, the predetermined result may be to provide an additional memory to the predetermined portion or to alter the pseudo-elastic properties of the shape memory material. In other examples, which are not necessarily restricted to shape memory materials, the process may be used to adjust the concentration of components at the surface to allow the formation of an oxide layer at the surface of the material to provide corrosion resistance; to remove contaminants from the material; to adjust surface texture; or to generate at least one additional phase particle in the material to provide a nucleation site for grain growth, which in turn, can strengthen the material.

Abstract: A method for treating a material comprising: applying energy to a predetermined portion of the material in a controlled manner such that the local chemistry of the predetermined portion is altered to provide a predetermined result. When the material is a shape memory material, the predetermined result may be to provide an additional memory to the predetermined portion or to alter the pseudo-elastic properties of the shape memory material. In other examples, which are not necessarily restricted to shape memory materials, the process may be used to adjust the concentration of components at the surface to allow the formation of an oxide layer at the surface of the material to provide corrosion resistance; to remove contaminants from the material; to adjust surface texture; or to generate at least one additional phase particle in the material to provide a nucleation site for grain growth, which in turn, can strengthen the material.