Lubricious, Wear-Resistant Nanometal Composite Coatings for Solid Lubrication of Air Foil Bearings

In the proposed project, Integran USA seeks to demonstrate that both hard and lubricious second-phase particles can be codeposited within a tough, nanocrystalline cobalt-based metal matrix binder using a cost-effective manufacturing process to produce coatings with a low coefficient of friction and a high resistance to abrasive wear and contamination for use on air foil bearing contact surfaces. Proposed here is an innovative and cost-effective manufacturing process capable of producing nanocrystalline cobalt-based metal matrix composite surface coatings as solid lubricants for high temperature, high speed bearing applications. A materials technology optimization and evaluation program is proposed, based upon previous proprietary developments by the applicants in the area of cost-effective production of electrodeposited metals, alloys and composites with nanocrystalline microstructures. The proposed program seeks to develop a metal matrix composite coating, consisting of a nanocrystalline cobalt-based metal alloy matrix incorporating both hard second phase particles and lubricious second-phase particles to provide a high strength, highly wear/erosion resistant and highly lubricious coating that can meet all requirements for solid lubrication of air foil bearings. Phase I activities will demonstrate the performance enhancement of the nanocrystalline metal matrix composite coatings through a series of coupon tests evaluating morphology, wear, friction, hardness, corrosion, surface roughness, adhesion and fatigue.