Raychem Limited

James M O'Brien

Richard J Penneck

Nicholas J Smith

Stephen J Duckworth

An article of manufacture, for example a conductor for an electrical wire or cable, is provided with a refractory coating preferably formed from a refractory metal or semi-metal oxide or nitride and preferably deposited on the surface of the article by a vacuum deposition process such as a sputter ion plating method. Adhesion of the refractory coating, especially at high temperatures may be improved, and migration of the substrate metal through the coating may be suppressed by varying the stoichiometry of the coating through its thickness and/or by the provision of a metallic or refractory intermediate layer. The articles are particularly suitable for use in circuit and signal integrity cables. The vacuum deposited refractory layer may constitute the sole refractory, or additional refractory layers may be deposited by other methods e.g. a sol-gel method.

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Swindon, United Kingdom

James M O'Brien