Fluidized bed coating efficiency and morphology of coatings for producing Al-based nanocomposite hollow spheres

Abstract： We performed fluidized bed coating ofAl-based nanoeomposite powder-binder suspensions onto polymer substrates. The effects of the type and amount of the binder and nanoparticle additive on the coating process efficiency and coating characteristics were investigated. The efficiency decreased from 52% to 49% as the processing time increased from 15 to 20 min. However, the amount and thickness of the coating also increased as the processing time and amount of the binder were increased. The addition of nanoparticles to the system decreased the thickness of the coating from 222 to 207 μm when polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） was used as a binder. The suspension containing 3wt% R-4410 binder exhibited the greatest efficiency of 60%.

Characterization of NbSi_2–Al_2O_3 nanocomposite coatings prepared with plasma spraying mechanically alloyed powders

The present study characterized NbSi2-Al2O3 nanocomposite powders plasma-sprayed on Ti-6Al-4Vsubstrates. The powders were agglomerated to obtain suitable particle sizes for spraying. The agglomerated powders were then plasma-sprayed using atmospheric plasma spraying. The structural transformations of the powders along with the morphological and mechanical changes of the coatings were examined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and hard- ness testing. The results showed that after plasma spraying, the grain size increased, and the lattice strain decreased. However, the grain size of this compound after spraying was still in the nanometer range. The coating was uniform and exhibited good adhesion to the substrate. The microhardness and fracture toughness of the nanocomposite coating were higher than those of a nanostructured NbSi2 coating.

EFFECT OF SURFACTANTS ON Ni-TiN NANOCOMPOSITE COATINGS PREPARED BY ULTRASONIC ELECTRODEPOSlTION

Ni-TiN nanocomposite coatings were prepared by ultrasonic electrodeposition, and the effects of the surfactants on the coatings were investigated and the microstructure and micro rigidity of the coatings were characterized. Samples were also submitted to corrosion tests in 3% NaCl solution. The results showed that the surfactants had great effects on Ni-TiN nanocomposite coatings. The composite coatings prepared by ultrasonic electrodeposition with the surfactants were better than that of the coatings prepared without surfactants. The favorable properties of Ni-TiN nanocomposite coatings were prepared with the mixing of the non-ion and positive ion surfactants. The concentration of the mixing was 80 mg/L, and the ratio of the non-ion and positive ion surfactants was 1： 2.

Effect of WO3 Nanoparticle Loading on the Microstructural, Mechanical and Corrosion Resistance of Zn Matrix/TiO2-WO3 Nanocomposite Coatings for Marine Application

在这研究，为海洋的申请目的，我们评估了在微观结构，机械加强和经由电极淀积生产的 Zn-TiO 2-WO3 nanocomposite 的腐蚀抵抗性质上装载的过程参数和粒子的效果。我们与与一个精力散分光计(版本) 装备的一台扫描电子显微镜(SEM ) 描绘了合成涂层的词法性质。我们用一个 Dura 扫描坚硬测试者和一件必然发生的事情执行了机械检查 UMT-2 多功能的 tribological 测试者。我们在 3.5% NaCl 由线性极化评估了腐蚀性质。结果证明涂层展出了好稳定性，极大地装载的量的粒子提高了结构、词法的性质，坚硬行为和涂层的腐蚀抵抗。我们观察到钢上的这合金的降水被合成特征极大地影响。

Fabrication and wear properties of co-deposited Ni-Cr nanocomposite coatings

Ni-Cr nanocomposite coatings with different Cr particles contents were developed by electrodeposition method from a nickel sulfate solution containing different concentrations of Cr nanoparticle with an average particle size of 40 nm. The characteristics of the coatings were assessed by scanning electron microscopy and microhardness test. The friction and wear performances of Ni-Cr nanocomposite coatings and pure Ni film were comparatively investigated, with the effect of the Cr content on the friction and wear behaviors to be emphasized. The results indicate the microhardness, friction and wear behaviors of Ni-Cr nanocomposite coatings are closely related with Cr particles content. The Ni-Cr nanocomposite coating with a lower Cr content of 4.0% shows somewhat increased microhardness and wear resistance than the pure Ni coating, while the Ni-Cr nanocomposite coating with a higher Cr content has much better wear resistance than the pure Ni coating. The effect of Cr nanoparticles on the microhardness and wear resistance was discussed.

Dependence of Microstructure and Hardness of Nanocomposite Coatings of nc-(Ti_(1-x)Al_(x)N)/a-Si_(3)N_(4) on Aluminum Contents

Super-hard nanocomposite coatings have been received a great attention during recent years. Based on our previous investigations onto the several super-hard nanocomposite coating systems including nc-TiN/a-Si3N4, nc-TiN/a-BN. This paper reports on the nc-(Ti1.xAlxN)/a-Si3N4 nanocomposite coatings prepared by direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). And the effect of aluminum contents on the microstructure and hardness of the coatings have been mainly investigated. The coatings were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDX), and the hardness measurements were done by means of the automated load-depth sensing technique using Vickers diamond indenter. The thermal stability of nanocomposite coatings of TiN/a-Si3N4 was evaluated by annealing at elevated temperatures up to 1000°C. The results shows that super hardness of nc-(Ti|_xAlxN)/a-Si3N4 could be obtained with a wide aluminum content from 10at.% to 86at.% in (Ti^AlJN phase, while the silicon content can be kept at 4-5 at.%. These nanocomposite coatings shows a relatively better thermal stability of nanocrystallite size and therefore high hardness up to 1000°C, which further support our earlier concept for the design of super-hard nanocomposite coatings. These results are suggested mainly due to the formation of nanostructure, and this indicates that the aluminum has also the role of controlling the crystallite size within nc-(Ti1.xAlIN)/a-Si3N4 besides its known well property of the super anti-oxidation.

FABRICATION OF TRANSPARENT PU/ZrO_2 NANOCOMPOSITE COATINGS WITH HIGH REFRACTIVE INDEX

Transparent ZrO2-polyurethane nanocomposites with high refractive index were prepared by dispersing ZrO2 nanoparticles in a polyurethane matrix via ligand molecule engineering. TEM showed that the inorganic particles were well dispersed within the polymeric network with no significant macroscopic agglomeration. By controlling the phase separation it was possible to obtain transparent zirconia nanostructured coatings, characterized by improved mechanical and thermal properties. UV-Vis spectra indicated that the coatings still maintained transparency in the visible light. The refractive index of the UV-cured films depends linearly on the ZrO2 content and varies from 1.475 to 1.625 （20 wt%） at 633 nm. These coatings could find advanced applications in coatings of optical and electronic devices.

Structure and Performance of TiC-containing Diamond-like Carbon Nanocomposite Coatings Deposited by Rectangular Cathodic Arc Ion-plating

TiC-containing diamond-like carbon （TiC-DLC） nanocomposite coatings were deposited by a rectangular cathodic arc ion-plating system using C2H2 as reacting gas. Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis show that with increasing flow rate of C2H2, the structure of nanocomposite coatings changes from TiC nanograin-containing to graphite nanograin-containing DLC. The harness measurements show that the hardness decreases from 28 GPa to 18 GPa with increasing C2H2 flow rate. The scratch test show that a high critical load （〉40 N） was obtained and exhibited a good adhesion between the coating and the substrate. Wear experiment shows that the friction coefficient of TiC-DLC nanocomposite coatings decreases with increasing C2H2. A low friction coefficient of 0.07 was obtained at 480 sccm C2H2.

Relationship between dispersibility of ZrO2 nanoparticles in Ni-ZrO2 electroplated nanocomposite coatings and mechanical properties of nanocomposite coatings

Ni-ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings with monodispersed ZrO2 nanoparticles were prepared from the composite plating bath containing dispersant under DC electrodeposition condition. It is found that the morphology, orientation and hardness of the composite coating with monodispersed ZrO2 nanoparticles have lots of difference from the composite coating with agglomerated ZrO2 nanoparticles and pure nickel coating. Especially, the result of hardness shows that only a very low volume fraction (less than 1%) of monodispered ZrO2 nanoparticles in Ni-ZrO2 composite coatings will result in higher hardness of the coating. The hardness of Ni-ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings with monodispersed and agglomerated ZrO2 nanoparticles are HV 529 and HV 393, respectively. The hardness value of the former composite coatings is over 1.3 times higher than that of the later. All these composite coatings are 2 - 3 times higher than that of pure nickel plating (HV 207) prepared under the same conditions.

Thermal Sprayed CNT Reinforced Nanocomposite Coatings – A Review

This review is done essentially to study results in the field of synthesis and characterization of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT’s) reinforced nanocomposite coatings using thermal sprayed coatings. CNT reinforced nanocomposite coatings produced by thermal spray process are being developed for a wide variety of applications, e.g. aerospace, automotive and sports equipment industries. It is anticipated that, if properly deposited, nanocomposite ceramic coatings could also provide improved properties like wear resistance and thermal barrier coatings. These results clearly demonstrate that the significant improvement in coating performance can be achieved by utilizing proper thermal sprayed nanocomposite coatings. Thermal sprayed nanocomposite coatings shows improvement of resistance to wear, erosion, corrosion and mechanical properties. The purpose of this paper is to review CNT reinforced nanocomposite coatings using thermal spray by various researchers.

Fractography Analysis with Topographical Features of Multi-Layer Graphene Reinforced Epoxy Nanocomposites

The stiff and fragile structure of thermosetting polymers, such as epoxy, accomplices the innate cracks to cause fracture and therefore the applications of monolithic epoxy are not ubiquitous. However, it is well established that when reinforced especially by nano-fillers, its ability to withstand crack propagation is propitiously improved. The crack is either deflected or bifurcated when interacting with strong nano-filler such as Multi-Layer Graphene (MLG). Due to the deflection and bifurcation of cracks, specific fracture patterns are observed. Although these fracture patterns seem aesthetically appealing, however, if delved deeper, they can further be used to estimate the influence of nano-filler on the mechanical properties. Here we show that, by a meticulous examination of topographical features of fractured patterns, various important aspects related to fillers can be approximated such as dispersion state, interfacial interactions, presence of agglomerates, and overall influence of the incorporation of filler on the mechanical properties of nanocomposites.

Crystalline texture evolution, control of the tribocorrosion behavior, and significant enhancement of the abrasion properties of a Ni-P nanocomposite coating enhanced by zirconia nanoparticles

This paper describes an investigation of the effect of ZrO2 nanoparticles on the abrasive properties,crystalline texture developments,and tribocorrosion behavior of Ni-P nanostructured coatings.In the investigation,Ni-P and Ni-P-ZrO2 nanostructured coatings are deposited on St52 steel via the electroless method.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM),field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS),cyclic-static polarization tests in 3.5wt%NaCl solution,the tribocorrosion test(by back-and-forth wear in electrochemical cell),and the microhardness test using the Vickers method were performed to characterize and analyze the deposited coatings.The results of this study showed that the addition of ZrO2 nanoparticles to the Ni-P electroless bath produced the following:a sharp increase in wear and hardness resistance,the change of the wear mechanism from sheet to adhesive mode,the reduction of pitting corrosion resistance,significant reduction in the tribocorrosion protective properties,change in the preferred orientation of the crystalline texture coating from(111)to(200),increase in the sedimentation rate during the deposit process,and a sharp increase in the thickness of the Ni-P nanostructured coatings.

Amorphous Co-B/Al nanocomposites prepared by electroless coating technique and their excellent catalytic activity

To improve the catalytic activity of amorphous Co-B alloys, Co-B coated aluminum （Co-B/M） nanocomposites were prepared by electroless coating technique and evaluated as additives for the catalytic performance of ammonium perchlorate （AP） and AP-based solid state propellants. X-ray diffractometry （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, inductive coupled plasma emission spectrometry （ICP）, differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） as well as strand burner method were employed to characterize the crystal phase, morphologies, chemical composition, and catalytic activity of the as-synthesized material. The results show that a continuous layer of about 100 nm amorphous Co72.6B27.4 covers the surfaces of M particles. Addition of the as-synthesized Co-B/A1 nanocomposites as catalysts promotes AP decomposition, enhances the burning rate, and lowers the pressure exponent of the AP-based propellants considerably.

Effect of cathode composition on microstructure and tribological properties of TiBN nanocomposite multilayer coating synthesized by plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition

Nanocomposite multilayer TiBN coatings were prepared on Si(100) and 9Cr18Mo substrates using TiBN composite cathode plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition technique(PIIID). Synthesis of TiBN composite cathodes was conducted by powder metallurgy technology and the content of hexagonal boron nitride(h-BN) was changed from 8% to 40%(mass fraction). The as-deposited coatings were characterized by energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction(GIXRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FTIR) and high resolution transmission electron microcopy(HRTEM). EDS results show that the B content of the coatings was varied from 3.71% to 13.84%(molar fraction) when the composition of the h-BN in the composited cathodes was changed from 8 % to 40%(mass fraction). GIXRD results reveal that the TiBN coatings with a B content of 8% has the main diffraction peak of TiN(200),(220) and(311), and these peaks disappear when the B content is increased. FTIR analysis of the multilayer coatings showed the presence of h-BN in all coatings. TEM images reveal that all coatings have the characteristics of self-forming nanocomposite multilayers, where the nanocomposites are composed of face-centered cubic Ti N or h-BN nanocrystalline embedded in amorphous matrix. The tribological tests reveal that the Ti BN coatings exhibit a marked decrease of coefficient at room temperature(~0.25). The improved properties were found to be derived from the comprehensiveness of the self-forming multilayers structure and the h-BN solid lubrication effects in the coatings.

Sand-wear resistance of brush electroplated nanocomposite coating in oil and its application to remanufacturing

Sand-wear resistance of nano scale alumina particle reinforced nickel matrix composite coating （n-Al2O3/Ni） prepared by brush electroplating technique was investigated via wear tests in sand-contaminated oil lubricant, comparing with that of AISI1045 steel and brush electroplated Ni coating. Effects of testing load, sand content and sand size on worn volume of the three materials, and also coating surface roughness on worn volume of the brush electroplated coatings were accessed. Results show that the worn volume of all the three materials increases with increasing of testing load, sand content and sand size. In the same conditions, n-Al2O3/Ni composite coating has the smallest worn volume while AISI1045 steel has the largest because of the n-Al2O3 particle effects. As to n-Al2O3/Ni and Ni coatings, the surface-polished coatings have obviously lower worn volume than the as-plated coatings. The brush electroplated n-Al2O3/Ni composite coating was employed to remanufacture the sand-worn bearing seats of a heavy vehicle and good results were gained.

Effects of Vapor Pressure and Super-Hydrophobic Nanocomposite Coating on Microelectronics Reliability

Modeling vapor pressure is crucial for studying the moisture reliability of microelectronics, as high vapor pressure can cause device failures in environments with high temperature and humidity. To minimize the impact of vapor pressure, a super-hydrophobic(SH) coating can be applied on the exterior surface of devices in order to prevent moisture penetration. The underlying mechanism of SH coating for enhancing device reliability, however, is still not fully understood. In this paper, we present several existing theories for predicting vapor pressure within microelectronic materials. In addition, we discuss the mechanism and effectiveness of SH coating in preventing water vapor from entering a device, based on experimental results. Two theoretical models, a micro-mechanics-based whole-field vapor pressure model and a convection-diffusion model, are described for predicting vapor pressure. Both methods have been successfully used to explain experimental results on uncoated samples. However, when a device was coated with an SH nanocomposite, weight gain was still observed, likely due to vapor penetration through the SH surface. This phenomenon may cast doubt on the effectiveness of SH coatings in microelectronic devices. Based on current theories and the available experimental results, we conclude that it is necessary to develop a new theory to understand how water vapor penetrates through SH coatings and impacts the materials underneath. Such a theory could greatly improve microelectronics reliability.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Ti-B-N coatings deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Ternary Ti-B-N coatings were synthesized on AISI 304 and Si wafer by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique using a gaseous mixture of TiCl4,BCl3,H2,N2,and Ar.By virtue of X-ray diffraction analysis,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,scanning electron microscope,and high-resolution transmission electron microscope,the influences of B content on the microstructure and properties of Ti B N coatings were investigated systematically.The results indicated that the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-B-N coatings largely depend on the transformation from FCC-TiN phase to HCP-TiB2 phase.With increasing B content and decreasing N content in the coatings,the coating microstructure evolves gradually from FCC-TiN/a-BN to HCP-TiB2 /a-BN via FCC-TiN+HCP-TiB2/a-BN.The highest microhardness of about 34 GPa is achieved,which corresponds to the nanocomposite Ti-63%B-N (mole fraction) coating consisting of the HCP-TiB2 nano-crystallites and amorphous BN phase.The lowest friction-coefficient was observed for the nanocomposite Ti-41%B-N (mole fraction) coating consisting of the FCC-TiN nanocrystallites and amorphous BN

Effect of TiO_2 nanoparticles on hydrogen evolution reaction activity of Ni coatings

The electrocatalytic activity of electrodeposited Ni and Ni–TiO2 coatings with regard to the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction（HER） was investigated. The Ni coatings were electrodeposited from an acid chloride bath at different current densities, and their HER activities were examined in a 1.0-mol·L^-1 KOH medium. The variations in the HER activity of the Ni coatings with changes in surface morphology and composition were examined via the electrochemical dissolution and incorporation of nanoparticles. Electrochemical analysis methods were used to monitor the HER activity of the test electrodes; this activity was confirmed via the quantification of gases that evolved during the analysis. The obtained results demonstrated that the Ni–TiO2 nanocomposite test electrode exhibited maximum activity toward the alkaline HER. The surface appearance, composition, and the phase structure of all developed coatings were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS）, and X-ray diffraction（XRD）, respectively. The improvement in the electrocatalytic activity of Ni–TiO2 nanocomposite coating toward HER was attributed to the variation in surface morphology and increased number of active sites.