Biomimetic Nanostructured Coating for Dry Machining

The goal of this Phase I research project is to develop a novel adaptive nanostructured coating for cutting tools optimized for dry machining applications. Dry machining eliminates the use of metalworking fluid. Today, it is estimated that more than 100 million gallons of metalworking fluid are used each year in the United States. Some of the fluids in use are oil-based, but even the available oil-free synthetics quickly become contaminated with oils, solvents, and heavy metals, and represent a significant hazardous waste disposal problem. The current state-of-the-art for combining hard phases and soft phases in coatings for cutting tools usually is in a multilayer configuration in which the soft phases wear out, quickly leaving the hard phases exposed. Thus, the conventional multilayer combination cannot provide efficient lubrication throughout the entire tool life. NanoMech, LLC, will develop an integrated coating system and an optimized adaptive nanostructured coating for cutting tool applications. The coating system includes electrostatic spray coating, chemical vapor infiltration, and laser texturing. The coating has adaptive features with hard phase being deposited in a dome structure similar to a lotus leaf's surface, and the soft phases residing in the reservoirs surrounded by the domes. Feasibility of this novel coating philosophy will be proved by synthesizing the nanostructured coating with hard phases (cBN+TiN) and soft phases (MoS2+TiN) following a biomimetic approach and testing the coating's properties. This project, if successful, will greatly benefit the environment, next-generation tools, wear applications, and a number of industries.