There have been great strides in the development and diverse utilization of hard nanocrystalline and nancomposite coatings in recent years to combat wear in a wide range of tribological applications. However, the progress has been rather slow in the development of films that are not only ultra-hard and tough but also self-lubricating over broad ranges of temperatures and environments. Research has focused primarily on nanocomposite adaptive coatings that combine a hard phase that is highly wear resistant embedded with one or more nanocrystalline solid lubricant (SL) phases that provide lubrication in different environments. The current research project aims at developing a novel technique for the fabrication of adaptive self-lubricating coatings by producing ultra-hard nitride films with highly ordered nanopores that are subsequently filled with reservoirs of SLs. The advantage of this approach over the 3-dimensional nanocomposite design is that the SLs should be released during contact at a controlled rate to continuously replenish the surfaces and maintain a low friction coefficient while the mechanical integrity of the film is maintained.
This program will help advance the manufacture of new nano-textured multi-functional protective coatings for a variety of tribological applications. The new generation of self-lubricating materials will result in higher productivity, greater energy savings, and better environmental compliance for various industries that include manufacturing and tooling, material forming, automotive, aerospace, and nuclear power. The use of SLs is attractive because of environmental and health concerns in addition to the cost of treatment and disposal of liquid lubricants. Moreover, SLs are the only alternative for high vacuum and space-vacuum environments and food-processing machines. Educational aspects of the project include enhancing the undergraduate research initiatives and the REU program already implemented at SIUC with an emphasis on recruiting under-represented groups. This program also aims at providing a K-12 outreach program that includes giving science workshops at various local schools.
There have been great strides in the development and diverse utilization of coatings in recent years to combat wear in a wide range of applications. This award allowed us to create new solid lubricant materials that reduce friction and wear at high temperatures. The new generation of materials will result in higher productivity, greater energy savings, and better environmental compliance for various industries that include manufacturing and tooling, material forming, automotive, space, aerospace, military, and nuclear power. The use of solid lubricants is attractive because of environmental and health concerns in addition to the cost of treatment and disposal of liquid lubricants. Moreover, solid lubricants are the only alternative for high vacuum and space-vacuum environments and food-processing machines. Educational aspects of the project include enhancing the undergraduate research initiatives and the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program already implemented at Southern Illinois University with an emphasis on recruiting under-represented groups. This program also aims at providing a K-12 outreach program that includes offering science workshops at various local schools. Contributions to Other Disciplines The manufacturing process that is being utilized in this project would have an impact on many other disciplines that might require the modification of their surfaces. These include biomedical applications such as for the fabrications of drug-eluting stents, the femoral head of hip implants to reduce friction and wear, the filling of pores with various types of materials for different functionalities (phase change materials, energy storage, photovoltaic materials, etc.). Contributions to Human Resources Development The current award has allowed us to train undergraduate and graduate students in a multi-disciplinary environment (Physics / Chemistry / Materials Science / Mechanical Engineering). Contributions beyond Science and Engineering We believe that this project has implications beyond basic research because the knowledge learnt will be applicable for industries in the US to increase the life-time and to decrease the wear rate of moving assemblies along with lowering the coefficient of friction. This award has facilitated collaboration with the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, and companies that manufacture aircraft and automotive engines (Bosch, General Electric, and Rolls Royce).
