Designed to last: novel gradient coatings for extreme environments

硬涂层经常应用于在恶劣环境下运行的设备。通常这种涂层在压力下非常脆弱，特别是在高温或腐蚀性环境中。过早失效会影响安全，并导致负面的经济和环境后果。该项目的目标是将生物微结构设计与新兴的合金概念结合起来，在工程涂料的发展中取得突破；例如，克服长期存在的硬度和韧性之间的权衡。这种创新的涂层有望在极端条件下高度耐用，这样做将有助于改变制造业，采矿业和海水淡化行业。

Hard coatings are frequently applied to equipment operating in harsh environments. Often such coatings are highly brittle and so fragile under stress, especially at high temperatures or in corrosive environments. Premature failure can affect safety and lead to negative economic and environmental consequences. The objective of this project is to combine bioinspired microstructural design with an emerging alloying concept to produce a breakthrough in the development of engineering coatings; for example, overcoming the long standing trade-off between hardness and toughness. Such an innovative coating is expected to be highly durable in extreme conditions, and in so doing will help transform manufacturing, mining and desalination industries.