Structure and Properties of Electrodeposited Composite Metal–Nanodisperse Inorganic Compound Coatings

By using the electrodeposition method, composite Sn-inorganic coatings have been obtained. As the inorganic compounds, ultrafine PbMo₆S₈, NbC_xN_y, Ti_xN_y, and Ti_0.63Nb_0.34C_0.38N_0.58 powders were utilized. The Sn–PbMo₆S₈ coatings containing 28-88 wt.% PbMo₆S₈ were superconductive. The highly electroconductive Sn–NbC_xN_y coatings containing 1-88 wt.% of the disperse phase and the Sn–Ti_xN_y coatings with 42-70 wt.% Ti_xN_y were structurally stable at a low temperature (–50°C), solderable, and corrosion resistant on copper. The formation of the structure of the coatings is determined by the electrolyte composition, the cathode current density during the electrolysis, and the codeposition of the disperse phase. By electrodeposition of the chromium carbonitride Cr₃C_1.6N_0.4, in the presence of H₄P₂O₇ in an CrO₃-based electrolyte, mat composite Cr–Cr₃C_1.6N_0.4 coatings with 6.8 wt.% Cr₃C_1.6N_0.4 were obtained, which had a finely uneaven surface structure. Such surfaces are needed in the cases where lubricants are used.     

Shallow hydroxyapatite coatings pulsed laser deposited onto Al2O3 substrates with controlled porosity: correlation of morphological characteristics with in vitro testing results

We studied the influence of porous Al₂O₃ substrates on Ce-stabilized ZrO₂-doped hydroxyapatite thin films morphology pulsed laser deposited on their top. The porosities of substrates were monitored by changing sintering temperatures and measured with a high pressure Hg porosimeter.The depositions were conducted in 50 Pa water vapors by multipulse ablation of the targets with an UV KrF* (λ = 248 nm, τ ∼ 25 ns) excimer laser. The surface morphology of synthesized nanostructures was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microcopy. Ca/P ratio within the range 1.67-1.70 was found for hydroxyapatite coatings by energy dispersive spectroscopy.The films were further seeded with mesenchymal stem cells for in vitro tests. The cells showed good attachment and spreading uniformly covering the entire surface of samples. The complexity of film morphology which is increasing with substrate porosity was shown to have a positive influence on cultivated cells density.     

Feasibility studies of the EXL setup for FAIR using the GSI storage ring ESR

The investigation of light-ion induced direct reactions in inverse kinematics, using stored and cooled radioactive beams, interacting with internal H, He, etc. gas-jet targets, bears a large potential for nuclear structure and astrophysics studies on exotic nuclei. An extended research project EXL has been accepted for the future facility FAIR in Darmstadt, Germany. In order to explore the experimental conditions for measurements planned at FAIR, a first test experiment for proving the feasibility of the EXL concept was performed.