The paper addresses an important scientific topic from the utilitarian point of view concerning the surface treatment of Al-Si-Cu aluminum alloys by PVD/ALD hybrid coating deposition. The influence of the conditions of deposition of titanium oxide in CrN/TiO2 coatings on their structure and properties, in particular corrosion resistance, were investigated. The TiO2 layer was produced by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method with a variable number of cycles. Structural investigations were performed using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman spectroscopy methods. Electrochemical properties were analyzed using potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. The CrN/TiO2 hybrid coating with titanium oxide deposited at 500 ALD cycles showed the best corrosion properties. It was also found that the prerequisite for obtaining the best electrochemical properties was the amorphous structure of titanium oxide in the tested hybrid coatings. The high tribological properties of the tested coatings were also confirmed.

This paper deals with issues related to tribological processes occurring as a result of excessive wear of the surface of scraper conveyor components caused by the impact of the mined material created during drilling of development or exploitation galleries. One of the most common types of tribological wear is abrasive wear. W ear tests were carried out for hard coal – based abrasive using dry carbon abrasive and a hydrated mixture with 76 and 58% hard coal. Based on the conducted research, it was established that the effects of wear processes are associated with damage typical of wear mechanisms: micro-scratching and micro-fatigue. For the wear variant in the presence of dry coal abrasive, individual scratches caused by the abrasive grains were observed on the surface of the samples. The main reason for this type of damage was the aggregation of quartz, which is one of the basic components of the mineral substance present in the tested hard coal. When hydrated carbon mixtures were used as an abrasive, the surface of the samples also displayed scratches characteristic of the aggregate quartz. A small part of the carbon abrasive was pressed into the scratches. Under the influence of the wear caused by friction, small depressions were also formed, where coal penetrated. The effect of coal pressing into micro-scratches is related to its plastic properties. T ests of the abrasive conducted after the conclusion of wear tests have shown that under the influence of the local increase in temperature and pressure, the hard coal contained in the abrasive can undergo transformations. In the abrasive transformed under friction, small, but measurable changes in the content of the C element in relation to the initial hard coal sample were exhibited.

This article presents the results of studies into the phase and chemical composition of blast furnace slag in the context of its reuse. In practice, blast furnace slags are widely used in the construction industry and road building as a basis for the production of, for example, cements, road binders and slag bricks. T hey are also used in the production of concrete floors, mortars, and plasters. Blast furnace slag is mainly used as a valuable material in the production of hydraulic binders, especially cement that improves the mechanical properties of concretes.
The favorable physical and mechanical properties of slags, apart from economic aspects, are undoubtedly an asset when deciding to use them instead of natural raw materials. In addition to the above, there is also the ecological aspect, since by using waste materials, the environmental interference that occurs during the opencast mining of natural aggregates is reduced. S pecifically, this means waste utilization through secondary management.
However, it should be kept in mind that it is a material which quite easily and quickly responds to environmental changes triggered by external factors; therefore, along with the determination of its physical and mechanical properties, its phase and chemical composition must be also checked.
The studies showed that the predominant component of the blast furnace slag is glass which can amount up to 80%. In its vicinity, metallic precipitate as well as crystallites of periclase, dicalcium silicates and quartz can be found. With regard to the chemical composition of the slag, it was concluded that it meets the environmental and technical requirements regarding unbound and hydraulically bound mixtures. In case of the latter, in terms of its chemical composition, the slag meets the hydraulic activity category CA3. It also meets the chemical requirements for using it as a valuable addition to mortars and concretes, and it is useful in the production of CEM II Portland-composite cement, CEM III blast-furnace cement and CEM V composite cements. The blast furnace slag is a valuable raw material for cement production. Cement CEM III/C contains 81–95% of blast furnace slag in accordance with E N 197-1:2012. In 2019, the Polish cement industry used 1,939,387.7 tons of slag.

Magnesium alloys have recently become increasingly popular in many sectors of the industry due to their unique properties, such as low density, high specific strength, vibration damping ability along with their recyclability and excellent machinability. Nowadays, thin films have been attracting more attention in applications that improve mechanical and corrosion properties. The following alloys were used for the coated Mg-Al-RE and the ultra-light magnesium-lithium alloy of the Mg-Li-Al-RE type. A single layer of TiO2 was deposited using the atomic layer deposition ALD method. Multiple layers of the Ti/TiO₂ and Ti/TiO₂/Ti/TiO₂ type were obtained by the MS-PVD magnetron sputtering technique. Samples were investigated by scanning and a transmission electron microscope (SEM, TEM) and their morphology was studied by an atomic forces microscope (AFM). Further examinations, including electrochemical corrosion, roughness and tribology, were also carried out. As a result of the research, it was found that the best electrochemical properties are exhibited by single TiO2 layers obtained by the ALD method. Moreover, it was found that the Ti/TiO₂/Ti/TiO₂ double film has better properties than the Ti/TiO₂ film.

In this paper, thermal oxidation resistance of silicide-coated niobium substrates was tested in a temperature range of 1300–1450°C using an HVOF burner. Pure niobium specimens were coated using the pack cementation CVD method. Three different silicide thickness coatings were deposited. Thermal oxidation resistance of the coated niobium substrates was tested in a temperature range of 1300–1450°C using an HVOF burner. All samples that passed the test showed their ability to stabilize the temperature over a time of 30 s during the thermal test. The rise time of substrate temperature takes about 10 s, following which it keeps constant values. In order to assess the quality of the Nb-Si coatings before and after the thermal test, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) along with chemical analysis (EDS), X-ray diffraction XRD and Vickers hardness test investigation were performed. Results confirmed the presence of substrate Nb compounds as well as Si addition. The oxygen compounds are a result of high temperature intense oxidizing environment that causes the generation of SiO phase in the form of quartz and cristobalite during thermal testing. Except for one specimen, all substrate surfaces pass the high temperature oxidation test with no damages.