SBIR Phase I: Plasma Enhanced Nanostructures for Improved Tribology of Gray Cast Iron Stamping Dies

该小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目旨在使用氮碳共渗等离子体在高强度钢板冲压用铸铁模具的铸铁表面氮化层表面生成纳米结构层。为了沉积纳米结构涂层，在工业规模的设备中使用低沉积压力和温度将产生活性碳硝基氢化物离子物种。在模拟实际冲压作业的条件下，将评估沉积的涂层的机械性能和摩擦学性能。该项目的广泛/商业影响将是有可能在氮化物上提供高硬度和低摩擦的纳米结构涂层，显著提高铸铁模具表面的摩擦学性能，为冲压行业实现显著节省。铸铁模具广泛应用于汽车车身零件的冲压。最近，随着先进的高强度钢(AHSS)和超高强度钢(UHSS)在冲压作业中的引入，这些模具的使用寿命大幅下降。这导致了昂贵的停机时间和巨额的芯片维修成本。这项技术有望显著提高双表面的摩擦学性能，从而延长铸铁模具的使用寿命。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to use nitrocarburizing plasmas to generate nanostructured layer on top of nitride case on cast iron surfaces of cast iron dies used in the stamping of high-strength-steel sheets. To deposit nanostructured coatings, reactive carbo-nitro-hydride ion species will be created by using low deposition pressures and temperatures in industrial size equipment. The deposited coatings will be evaluated for their mechanical properties and tribological performance under conditions replicating those in actual stamping operations. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to provide high-hardness and low-friction nanostructured coatings on the nitride to significantly enhance the tribological performance of the cast iron dies surfaces, realizing significant savings for the stamping industry. Cast iron dies are extensively used in the stamping of automotive body parts. Recently, the service lives of these dies have decreased substantially with the introduction of advanced high strength steels (AHSS) and ultra high strength steels (UHSS) in stamping operations. This has led to costly downtimes and significant die repair costs. This technology is expected to dramatically improve the tribological performance of duplex surfaces, thus extending the lifetime of cast iron dies.