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The interaction of thin Ti–B–N films obtained by magnetron reactive sputtering of a TiB2 target was studied in an atmosphere of a gas argon–nitrogen mixture (85 vol % Ar + 15 vol % N2), with mineral acids (HCl, H2SO4, H3PO4, HNO3). It was found that the hexagonal boron nitride formed during the deposition process, along with titanium nitride, forms a resistant protective film that protects the bulk (~85%) of the film from corrosion.

The nanostructural and tribological characteristics of carbon nanocomposite coatings (CNCs), deposited by accelerated C60 ions at high temperatures, were studied. The CNCs were successfully fabricated on Ti-alloy using a flux that contained C60 ions with 5 and 10 keV energies. Unlike the previous studies, ion mass-separator was not implemented to the deposition process. This enabled deposition of sp2-rich CNCs with a lower coefficient of friction (COF) at a higher deposition rate. Laser confocal microscopy, atomic force microscopy transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray Auger Electron Spectroscopy were used to investigate the structure of the coatings and friction test results. A carbon nanocomposite film consisting of graphite nanocrystals enclosed in an amorphous diamond-like matrix was formed at a deposition temperature of 300–400 °C. Upon deposition of the CNC, a COF of ~0.06 was achieved, which was almost one order of magnitude lower than that of bare Ti-alloy substrate. The surface wear was reduced by 360 times. The wear mechanism was changed from abrasive wear (on bare Ti-alloy) to a burnishing smoothening of the surface roughness (on CNCs). The transfer of graphite nanocrystals from the coating to the counter surface was identified and observed to act as a solid lubricant.

We have measured the electrical conductivity of lanthanum oxide based composite materials containing different concentrations of carbon nanofibers as additives. The conductivity has been shown to increase sharply (by two orders of magnitude) at carbon nanofiber contents from 2 to 3 wt % owing to the formation of a three-dimensional network of nanofibers in the bulk of the composite. Particular attention has been paid to the morphology of the particles of the constituent components of the composites and to the chemical and phase compositions of the matrix material.

Carbon-ceramic composites have been prepared by mechanical ball-milling and ultrasonic treatment of mixtures of titania with carbon nanomaterials, and the optimal preparation conditions have been determined. The dependence of electrical conductivity of the composites on the mass fraction of carbon nanomaterials (1–5 mass. %) has been ascertained, and it has been found that a carbon nanotubes mass fraction of 3% gives rise to a sharp increase in the electrical conductivity up to 2.2 × 10−3 S/cm. It has been shown that the carbon-ceramic composites are promising electrocatalyst supports for electrochemical applications.