SBIR Phase I: Interface Design for Diamond-coated Steels

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop a diamond coating technology for steel that has the chipping and spalling resistance needed for commercial applications. Friction and wear between rolling, sliding, and cutting surfaces causes lost efficiency, reduced service life, and lost capital. For example, the loss of a bearing while drilling a deep oil well can cost $40,000 an hour in lost production. Diamond, which has a hardness that is twice that of cubic boron nitride (CBN) and four times that of silicon carbide (SiC), cannot be used in these commercial applications due to its poor spalling resistance. The innovation set forth in this proposal seeks to develop interfaces between the steel and diamond that will resist spalling of the film. Advanced computing techniques will be used to identify and evaluate the best prospects for a revolutionary substrate(steel)-interface-coating(diamond) system (Phase I deliverables). The commercialization of a chip-resistant diamond coating will facilitate the development of various advanced bearing and wear products including rolling and sliding bearings, engine parts, cutting tools, and biomedical devices.