LUBRICANT-HARD-DUCTILE NANOCOMPOSITE COATINGS AND METHODS OF MAKING

• US 20090155479A1
• Filed: 09/20/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inframat Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inframat Corporation
• Inventors: Broadhead, John, Ma, Xinqing, Xiao, T. Danny
• Granted Patent: US 8,541,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/451
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 30/00 Coating with metallic material characterised only by the composition of the metallic material, i.e. not characterised by the coating process C23C26/00, C23C28/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/06 Metallic material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/10 Oxides, borides, carbides, nitrides or silicides; Mixtures thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/129 Flame spraying
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 15/02 Combined electrolytic and electrophoretic processes with charged materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

Lubricant-hard-ductile composite coating compositions and methods of making the same are provided. In embodiment, a composite coating composition comprises: a lubricant phase for providing lubrication to a surface; a hard ceramic phase for providing structural integrity and wear resistance to the surface; and a ductile metal phase for providing ductility to the surface.

Claims

1. A composite coating composition comprising:

a lubricant phase for providing lubrication to a surface;

a hard ceramic phase for providing structural integrity and wear resistance to the surface; and

a ductile metal phase for providing ductility to the surface.

2. The composite coating composition of claim 1, being nanostructured or superfine.

3. The composite coating composition of claim 1, wherein the lubricant phase and the hard ceramic phase comprise nanoparticles or superfine particles distributed in the ductile metal phase.

4. The composite coating composition of claim 1, wherein the hard ceramic phase comprises nanoparticles or superfine particles at least partially coated with the lubricant phase and distributed in the ductile metal phase.

5. The composite coating composition of claim 1, wherein the lubricant phase comprises BN, Fe_1-xS where x is about 0.01 to about 0.5, MoS₂, WS₂, TiS₂, NbS₂, TiSe₂, NbSe₂, MoSe₂, TaS₂, TaSe₂, graphite, CaF₂, Fe₃O₄, a fluoropolymer, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

6. The composite coating composition of claim 1, wherein the hard ceramic phase comprises Al₂O₃, Cr₂O₃, ZrO₂, CeO₂, WC, TiC, VC, Cr₃C₂, TaC, SiC, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, zirconium nitride, TiB₂, zirconium boride, diamond nanoparticles, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

7. The composite coating composition of claim 1, wherein the ductile metal phase comprises a transition metal, Co, Ni, Fe, Mo, Cr, Cu, W, Ta,, In, Tl, an alloy of metals or transition metals, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

8. The composite coating composition of claim 1, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a Cr₂O₃ phase, and a Ni phase.

9. The composite coating composition of claim 1, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a Fe₃O₄ phase, a Cr₂O₃ phase, and a Ni phase.

10. The composite coating composition of claim 1, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a WC phase, and a Co phase.

11. The composite coating composition of claim 1, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a Cr₂O₃ phase, and a NiCr phase.

12. The composite coating composition of claim 1, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a SiC phase, and a Ni or NiCr phase.

13. A method of making a lubricant-hard-ductile composite coating, comprising:

combining lubricant particles and hard ceramic particles with an ionic metal electroplating solution;

electroplating a substrate using the electroplating solution to form a metal coating on the substrate; and

performing an electrophoresis procedure to cause the lubricant particles and the hard ceramic particles to be incorporated into the metal coating and thereby form the lubricant-hard-ductile composite coating.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrophoresis procedure is cataphorretically enhanced.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the lubricant particles and the hard ceramic particles comprise nanoparticles, superfine particles, or both.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrophoresis procedure is performed such that an electrical double layer adjacent to the substrate attracts the lubricant particles and the hard ceramic particles.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a Cr₂O₃, and a Ni phase.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a Fe₃O₄ phase, a Cr₂O₃ phase, and a Ni phase.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a WC phase, and a Co phase.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a Cr₂O₃ phase, and a NiCr phase.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a SiC phase, and a Ni or NiCr phase.

22. A method of applying a lubricant-hard-ductile composite coating to a substrate, comprising:

premixing a lubricant phase, a hard ceramic phase, and a ductile metal phase to form an agglomerated thermal spray feedstock; and

thermal spraying the agglomerated thermal spray feedstock on a surface of the substrate to form a coating thereon.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising abrading the surface of the substrate to prepare the surface for coating before said thermal spraying.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said thermal spraying comprises:

generating a high velocity flame; and

feeding the agglomerated thermal spray feedstock into the high velocity flame to melt the feedstock and cause the feedstock to impact the substrate.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the coating is nanostructured or superfine.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the lubricant phase and the hard ceramic phase comprise nanoparticles or superfine particles distributed in the ductile metal phase.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the hard ceramic phase comprises nanoparticles or superfine particles at least partially coated with the lubricant phase and distributed in the ductile metal phase.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a Cr₂O₃, and a Ni phase.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a Fe₃O₄ phase, a Cr₂O₃ phase, and a Ni phase.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a WC phase, and a Co phase.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a Cr₂O₃ phase, and a NiCr phase.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein the composite coating is a nanostructured or superfine coating comprising a BN phase, a SiC phase, and a Ni or NiCr phase.