2008 JUL 14 - (VerticalNews.com) -- According to recent research from the United States, "This paper studies the nanotribological behavior of magnetic rigid disks dip-coated with ultra thin perfluoropolyether (PFPE) Z-Dol 4000 lubricant layers up to 4 nm thick prior to or after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. Lube bonding ratios (LBRs) of 43-91% were achieved by varying the UV irradiation time."

  "The nanotribological and mechanical properties of the disks were measured with a nanotribometer under varying loading conditions. The effect of the LBR on the nanotribological behavior of the disks was also elucidated. We found that the lubricated disks after UV treatment performed better compared to the lubricated disks without UV treatment," wrote E.K. Latch and colleagues ...read more

  2008 JUL 14 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "The influence of the deposition conditions on the structural features and electrochromic properties of nickel oxide (NiO) films prepared by chemical vapor deposition has been investigated. NO films have been prepared on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates from nickel-acetylacetonate precursor and their electrochromic properties have been studied by cyclic voltammetry in a 0.1 M KOH solution at room temperature," scientists in Wellington, New Zealand report ...read more

  2008 JUL 14 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "The nanostructures and mechanical properties of nanocomposite nc-TiN/a-(TiB2, BN) and nano-structured multilayers nc-TiN/a-TiBN were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), microindentation, and stress measurements. It was found that the monolayer Ti-B-N thin films consisted of nanometer-sized crystalline (nc-) Ti(N, B) embedded into amorphous (a-) (TiB2, BN) matrix," scientists in Leon, Spain report ...read more