Gear Coatings for Loss of Lubrication Application

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the effectiveness of an innovative coating solution to provide a substantial improvement in the gear lifetime of rotorcraft power transmission systems following loss-of-lubrication. The high temperature compatible, self-lubricating coating is a nanocomposite material that offers lubricity to reduce frictional heating, resistance against scuffing, and resistance to brittle fracture over a wide temperature range (>650C). The coating provides substantial performance improvements compared to conventional diamond-like-carbon, carbide and dichalcogenide coatings due to its superior resistance to degradation at elevated temperatures, which are present on gear faces during loss-of-lubrication. The coating will significantly improve the survivability of gears in current rotorcraft transmissions and next generation aircrafts, such as the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) aircraft.