SBIR Phase I: Arc/Implant/Glow Discharge Coating of Wear Surfaces

9860788这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发辉光放电等离子涂层和弧光放电等离子涂层，通过注入来缓解应力和增强附着力。这些设计将取代湿法镀铬技术和传统的氮化钛。这些涂层将以低成本到高能量进行缩放，其属性是它们将像湿涂层一样与处理后的表面保持一致。这些工艺预计对环境无害，并提供对涂层形态和化学成分的灵活控制。第一阶段将结合使用低能等离子体离子和中能离子，前者提供类共形气相沉积涂层，后者提供离子束混合和非平衡固溶体。这些工艺将产生与衬底材料良好结合的改性表面区，可以在从亚微米到几十微米的广泛厚度范围内沉积。等离子体源由电弧放电和气体馈送组成，用于制造工具工业中使用的氮化铬(CrN)硬质涂层。这项技术可以消除目前使用破坏环境的湿法工艺的需要，例如硬铬电镀，但还可以降低净成本。预计将提供一种成本效益高的表面硬化方法，该方法将增加涂层厚度并提供改善的涂层附着力。

9860788 This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop glow discharge plasma coatings and arc discharge plasma coatings using implantation to relieve stress and enhance adhesion. These will be designed to replace wet chrome plating technology and conventional titanium nitride. These coatings will scale at low cost to high energies, with the attribute that they will conform to the treated surface like a wet coating. These processes are expected to be environmentally benign and to provide flexible control over the morphology and chemistry of the coating. Phase I will combine the use of low energy plasma ions which provide conformal vapor deposition-like coatings with medium energy ions which provide ion beam mixing and non-equilibrium solid solutions. These processes will produce a modified surface zone, well integrated with the substrate material, which can be deposited over a wide range of thickness from submicron to several tens of microns. The plasma source consists of an arc discharge in conjunction with a gas feed to fabricate the chromium nitride (CrN) hard coatings used in the tool industry. This technology may eliminate the present need to use environmentally damaging wet processes, such as hard chrome plating, and yet reduce the net cost. It is anticipated to provide a cost-effective surface hardening method which will increase coating thickness and provide for improved coating adhesion.