Amorphous hydrogenerated carbon films containing a small amount of metal (Me:C-H) have been deposited by closed field unbalanced magnetron sputter ion plating. The films have graded film compositions to optimise the adhesion to the substrates, and multilayer TiC/Ti:C-H films have also been deposited. The films have excellent properties: very high measured microhardness (more than 4000 Hv), excellent adhesion (Lc 115–125 N), coefficients of friction against WC of less than 0.2, and volumetric wear rates one fifth that of titanium nitride. The coating procedure is ideally suited to the system used, and many applications for the films are already realised.

The gradual reduction in the use of electroplated cadmium as a corrosion barrier for aircraft parts has led to the development of ion- vapour-deposited (IVD) aluminium as an alternative. The most common IVD technique is the McDonnell Douglas “Ivadize” process, but the morphology of such aluminium coatings is usually open and columnar. Consequently, a post-deposition shot peen is used to densify the structure. This has led to very poor control over the thickness and uniformity of the coating, and precision parts cannot be coated by such techniques. The use of multimagnetron ion plating can guarantee close control over the coating dimensions by the precise deposition of fully dense aluminium films which do not require peening. To further improve the properties of the films, a series of aluminium alloys have been deposited to provide enhancement of the corrosion and tribological properties of the films.

Four fungicides and four insecticides significantly inhibited germination of B. bassiana compared with controls. The chemicals can be classed according to four levels of inhibition. Acylalanine and fenvalarate were least inhibitory, permethrin was slightly more inhibitory, azinphos-methyl and chlorothalonil were strongly inhibitory while metiram, carbofuran and mancozeb were the most inhibitory.