IGF::OT::IGF THIS PROPOSAL IS INTENDED TO PERFORM BASIC RESEARCH USING ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION (ALD) AS A M…

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IGF::OT::IGF THIS PROPOSAL IS INTENDED TO PERFORM BASIC RESEARCH USING ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION (ALD) AS A MEANS OF COATING VARIOUS SUBSTRATE MATERIALS WITH A VARIETY OF METALLIC AND CERAMIC OXIDES FOR CORROSION AND THERMAL PROTECTION. IN PARTICULAR, DUE TO GROWING INTEREST IN SIGNIFICANT COST-REDUCTION USING THE TECHNOLOGY OF SELECTIVE LASER MELTING (SLM), THIS PROPOSAL WILL ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP A STATE-OF-THE-ART AND LOW-COST METHOD OF POLISHING AND COATING A SUB-SCALE THRUSTER NOZZLE MODELED AFTER THE ALCOT THRUSTER AND BUILT USING SLM. SLM HAS SHOWN THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE PRODUCTION COSTS BY 70% OR MORE. BY COMBINING SLM WITH THE PROCESS OF ELECTRO-POLISHING AND APPLICATION OF UNIFORM THIN-FILM COATINGS USING ALD, WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN DEVELOP A COMPLETE MANUFACTURING PROCESS BY-WHICH HIGHPRECISION, COMPLEX AND HERE-TO-FORE COSTLY COMPONENTS CAN BE PRODUCED AT A FRACTION OF THEIR CURRENT COST. WE INTEND TO DEMONSTRATE A METHOD OF COATING STAINLESS STEEL, TUNGSTEN AND ULTIMATELY A TUNGSTEN/TITANIUM CARBIDE (W/TIC) MATRIX CREATED VIA SLM WITH IRIDIUM OXIDE (IRO2 OR IRO3) IN PHASE I AND YITTRIA-STABILIZED ZIRCONIA (YSZ: Y2O3-ZRO2) AND YITTRIA (Y2O3) IN PHASE II. THIS PROPOSAL WILL BE A DEMONSTRATION OF SMOOTHING AND COATING SEVERAL DIFFERENT SUBSTRATE MATERIALS WITH A VARIETY OF OXIDES IN PHASE I WHICH APPEAR TO OFFER SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS TO THE LOW-COST MANUFACTURE OF MATERIAL COMPONENTS OF GREAT INTEREST TO NASA.