Optimizing Wear and Corrosion Resistance of Superlattice Coatings through Atomic-Scale Design

对于复杂服务条件下的组件，如生物医学植入物、液压系统、核电站、海洋应用和海上工业，对耐磨损和耐腐蚀降解的新型工程材料的设计的需求越来越大。不幸的是，许多提高合金强度的工程方法可能导致腐蚀性能降低。该奖项支持基础研究，以全面了解有效的设计原则，可以减轻金属涂层的磨损和腐蚀。该研究将集中在超晶格涂层，这是分层的金属系统与单个层厚度低于10纳米，并提供了巨大的潜力，以提供耐磨性和耐腐蚀性。从这项研究中获得的知识将导致新金属和涂层的设计策略，具有高强度和优异的耐磨性和耐腐蚀性的最佳组合。这些材料的使用可以在各种工业中导致显著的经济节约。该计划还将为学生提供独特的教育和研究经验。包括外联方案，这将有助于激发年轻学生对STEM领域的兴趣，并扩大代表性不足的群体对研究活动的参与。超晶格涂层提供了同时提高耐磨性和耐腐蚀性的巨大机会。然而，人们对诸如调制波长、界面结构和残余应力等关键材料特性如何影响变形和退化机制知之甚少。这项研究是集中在一个综合性的研究，集成材料加工，表征，磨损和腐蚀测试，计算机模拟。有限元电化学模型将与实验相结合，以设计最佳的超晶格结构。先进的材料表征将与原子和有限元建模相结合，以了解关键微观结构参数对耐磨性和耐腐蚀性的作用。随着对变形和降解机制的更深入了解，这种自下而上的设计方法可能为创造复杂服务条件下所需的耐磨和耐腐蚀结构材料铺平道路。

The design of new engineering materials resistant to both wear damage and corrosion degradation is in increasing demand for components in complex service conditions, such as biomedical implants, hydraulic systems, nuclear power plants, marine applications and offshore industries. Unfortunately, many engineering approaches to increasing strength in alloys can result in reduced corrosion performance. This award supports fundamental research to develop a comprehensive understanding of effective design principles that can mitigate wear and corrosion in metallic coatings. The research will focus on superlattice coatings, which are layered metallic systems with individual layer thickness below 10 nanometers, and offer great potential to provide both wear and corrosion resistance. The knowledge developed from this research will lead to design strategies for new metals and coatings with an optimal combination of high strength and excellent wear and corrosion resistance. The use of such materials may lead to significant economical savings in various industries. This program will additionally provide students with a unique educational and research experience. Outreach programs are included, which will help stimulate interests in STEM fields among young students and broaden participation of underrepresented groups in research activities. Superlattice coatings offer great opportunity to improve wear and corrosion resistance simultaneously. Little is known, however, about how key materials properties such as modulation wavelength, interface structure, and residual stress affect deformation and degradation mechanisms. This research is centered on a comprehensive study that integrates materials processing, characterization, wear and corrosion testing, and computer simulations. A finite element electrochemical model will be combined with experiments to design the optimum superlattice architecture. Advanced materials characterization will be coupled with atomistic and finite element modeling to understand the roles of key microstructural parameters on wear and corrosion resistance. With greater understanding of the deformation and degradation mechanisms, this bottom-up design approach may pave the way for creating wear and corrosion resistant structural materials needed in complex service conditions.