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Vanadium carbide coatings on the surfaces of tools, dies, molds, and shears extend their service life by up to ten times, reports Metlab, Philadelphia, Pa. The technology is expected to reduce energy consumption by 35% to 50%, cut costs by 5% to 15%, and increase productivity by 10% to 30%. The process is based on thermal diffusion technology in which a vanadium carbide layer up to 15 microns thick is formed on the surface of steel and stainless steel materials in about 12 hours