Plasma-spraying is a potential technique for forming flexible tapes from the brittle highT_c oxides. It is possible to obtain superconducting YBa₂Cu₃O_x coatings by a suitable heat-treatment after spraying. In an effort to improve the critical current densities of the coatings, the effect of additions of Ag₂O, Bi₂O₃ and SnO₂ to the YBa₂Cu₃O_x powder used for spraying was studied. The maximumJ_c value of 75 A/cm² was obtained for the sample doped with 5% SnO₂.

Non-contact processing technique involving the use of CW and pulsed CO₂ laser irradiation has been used for reducing the core loss of cold-rolled grain-oriented silicon steel. Laser scribing perpendicular to the rolling direction resulted in a refinement of domain wall spacing which subsequently reduced the loss of silicon steel. It was found that laser irradiation was more effective in a specimen with higher magnetic induction (Hi-B) and the loss was reduced by more than 10% under optimum conditions of the laser irradiation and the scribing speed. Since laser processing is a non-contact technique, it can be easily applied to the production line of the silicon steel.