GOALI: Development of a PVD Crystalline Alumina Coating for Cutting Tools by a Novel Inverted Cylindrical Magnetron Sputtering Process

这项学术与工业联络资助项目的研究目标是开发一种先进的硬涂层工艺，以提高金属切削工具的耐磨性。本研究采用的方法是研究一种新的物理气相沉积工艺——倒圆柱形磁控溅射——沉积结晶氧化铝涂层的关键工艺参数。这项工作将在阿肯色州费耶特维尔大学和宾夕法尼亚州拉特罗伯肯纳金属公司的合作下进行。研究人员还将与沉积设备制造商Isoflux公司密切合作，开发和实施改进的硬件设计和过程建模解决方案。这项研究的成功开发和实施将直接帮助美国制造业显著降低制造成本，为他们提供改进的、耐磨的工具。新的涂层技术有可能显著降低加工的能源和环境成本，并提高制造生产率。该技术在其他领域也有巨大的应用潜力，如生物医学和防腐应用。校企合作也为学生的教育和培训提供了一个绝佳的机会，让他们在实验室进行动手研究，并在工业研究实验室进行实际应用培训。这项研究计划的实施也将为新的表面工程技术的交叉研究提供强大的推动力。

The research objective of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) project is to develop an advanced hard coating process for improved wear resistance of metal-cutting tools. The approach to be used in this research is to investigate the critical process parameters for the deposition of a crystalline aluminum oxide coating using a novel physical vapor deposition process called inverted cylindrical magnetron sputtering. This work will be carried out in a collaborative effort between University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, and Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, PA. The researchers will also work in close collaboration with the manufacturer of the deposition equipment, Isoflux, Inc., Rochester, NY, to develop and implement improved hardware designs and process modeling solutions.Successful development and implementation of this research will directly assist the U.S. manufacturing sector in significantly reducing manufacturing costs by providing them with improved, wear-resistant tools. The new coating technology has the potential to significantly reduce energy and environmental costs of machining, and to improve manufacturing productivity. The technology also has significant potential for applications in other fields, such as biomedical and corrosion protection applications. The university-industry collaboration also provides an outstanding opportunity for the education and training of students, by involving them in hands-on research in the laboratory combined with practical application training in the industrial research laboratory. The implementation of this research program will also provide a strong impetus to spawn new research efforts in cross-cutting research in new surface engineering technologies.