There is a wide choice of starting materials for the production of titanium dioxide films by reactive electron-beam evaporation. We have investigated the specific merits of these materials in terms of refractive index, stress, and abrasion resistance of the resultant titanium dioxide films. The suboxides TiO, Ti2O3, and Ti3O5 as well as titanium dioxide and titanium metal were reactively evaporated, and titanium dioxide films free of absorption were obtained on substrates at 25 and 250 degrees C. On unheated substrates the refractive index, which varies from 2.06 to 2.22, the stress, and the abrasion resistance all depend on the starting material used. On substrates heated to 250 degrees C the refractive indices of all films lie closely about 2.4, and all films show high tensile stress and good abrasion resistance.

The titanium suboxides TiO, Ti2O, and Ti3O5 are widely used to produce films of titanium dioxide by reactive evaporation. If they are evaporated in high vacuum, however, they yield absorbing TiO(x) films with a transmission color varying between blue and gray. We investigated the specific properties of these TiO(x) film. TiO, Ti2O3, Ti3O5, and titanium metal were evaporated in high vacuum upon glass substrates at 25 degrees and 250 degrees C. Differences in chemical composition, transmission and reflection, color, stress, and abrasion resistance of these fims, depending on the starting material and the substrate temperature, were evaluated.

A surplus amount of oxygen is needed to produce titanium dioxide film by reactive electron-beam evaporation of Ti3O5. We investigated the ratio of the rates at which oxygen molecules and TiO(x) molecules impinge upon substrates at 25 degrees and 250 degrees C to produce TiO2 filmsthat show no optical absorption in the visible spectral region. On unheated substrates the ratio was 49, and at 250 degrees C it was 26, provided that the substrates had been exposed to air after being coated at the given substrate temperature. Higher ratios were required if the TiOs film was covered with a SiO2 film, which impeded further oxidation. Furthermore, the postdeposition oxidation behavior of these films was studied.

Two Arvedi ESP plants going into operation in 2015 will allow a Chinese steel producer to better serve the extremely attractive local and export markets for highquality, thin-gauge strip products. The energy consumption and the related costs are reduced by up to 45% compared to conventional casting and rolling processes. This also means a major reduction in CO2 emissions. The new plants are designed for an annual production capacity of 2 x 2.55 million tons of high-quality, ultra-thin, hotrolled strip products with widths of up to 1,600 mm and thicknesses down to 0.8 mm. The project scope also features a comprehensive training and assistance package for plant start-up and operations by personnel from the existing ESP plant at Acciaieria Arvedi SpA, Italy. The plant setup, the trainings and assistance program as well as latest results from the ESP plant in Italy will be presented. While this project is under execution three further ESP lines have been ordered by the same customer summing up now to five ESP lines at the same location.

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