I/UCRC FRP: Advanced design and novel In-situ synthesis of self-cleaning and wear resistant metallic surfaces for water industry components

该提案旨在为位于密尔沃基的威斯康星州大学（UWM）的水设备和政策中心（WEP）提供资金。基础研究的资金申请由NSF批准的招标（NSF 11-570）授权。征集邀请I/UCRC提交支持行业定义的基础研究的提案。关于表面微观结构与水和油的润湿性之间的关系，可获得的信息有限。这项研究将开发微/纳米结构特征（如晶粒尺寸，取向，纹理，相组成和形态）与金属材料表面润湿性之间的关系，并规定具有最高接触角的最佳表面微/纳米结构，可能减少水工业中使用的组件的腐蚀，污垢和磨损。该项目使用铝、黄铜、铸铁和不锈钢对表面微观结构和润湿性的理解将适用于其他合金、复合材料、聚合物和陶瓷。拟议的工作可能导致成本较低的合金，仅在常规加工过程中对其表面进行改性，而不是使用大量昂贵的合金，如不锈钢。该项目将为工业界提供最佳表面微结构和纳米结构的建议，以最大限度地减少腐蚀。这项研究工作的结果将传播给水设备和工业的制造商，让他们合成这些微结构，并在传统制造过程中使用这些部件的表面进行水的运输，储存和处理。这项研究的结果将被纳入基础材料科学课程处理结构性能的关系和先进的课程，包括腐蚀，复合材料，金属铸造，热处理和流体流动。拟议的项目工作还将培训研究生和本科生从事水行业的职业，这是一个日益重要的社会关注领域。

This proposal seeks funding for the Center for Water Equipment and Policy (WEP) located at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (UWM). Funding Requests for Fundamental Research are authorized by an NSF approved solicitation, NSF 11-570. The solicitation invites I/UCRCs to submit proposals for support of industry-defined fundamental research. Limited information is available on the relationship between surface microstructure and wettability by water and oil. This research will develop relationships between micro/nanostructural features such as grain size, orientation, texture, phase composition and morphology, and the surface wettability in metallic materials, and prescribe optimum surface micro/nanostructure with highest contact angle, potentially reducing corrosion, fouling, and wear of components used in the water industry. The understanding of surface microstructure and wettability generated by this project using aluminum, brasses, cast iron and stainless steels will be applicable to other alloys, composites, polymers and ceramics. The proposed work could lead to lower cost alloys with only their surface modified during conventional processing instead of using bulk expensive alloys like stainless steels. This project will make recommendations to industry for optimum surface micro and nanostructure to minimize corrosion. The result of this research work will be disseminated to the manufacturers of water equipment and industries for them to synthesize these microstructures and use the surfaces of these components for water transport, storage and treatment during conventional manufacturing. The results of this research will be incorporated in basic materials science courses dealing with structure property relationships and advanced courses including corrosion, composites, metal casting, heat treatment and fluid flow. The proposed project work will also train graduate and undergraduate students for careers in the water industry, an increasingly important area of social concern.