Nano-Layered Diboride Materials with Enhanced Hardness, Strength, and Toughness for Wear Applications

42 Nano-Layered Diboride Materials with Enhanced Hardness, Strength, and Toughness for Wear Applications--Hyper-Therm High-Temperature Composites, Inc., 18411 Gothard Street, Unit B, Huntington Beach, CA 92648-1208; (714) 375-4085 Dr. Robert J. Shinavski, Principal Investigator Mr. Wayne S. Steffier, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-97ER82392 Amount: $74,929 Losses due to wear of materials have been estimated to cost the U.S. economy $100 billion per year in gross national product. Excessive wear of materials results in machine down-time, increased energy usage, and higher life-cycle costs. Because of their superior hardness and significantly higher tensile strength, diboride materials could alleviate many of the above aspects of wear. However, many of these superhard ceramic materials have not penetrated the market where they seem to be most needed because they are brittle and have inadequate tensile strength. This project will attempt to engineer the desired properties into ceramic materials using chemical vapor deposition to put down layers of diboride on the order of 10 nanometers thick. This work will investigate the degree and presence of these nano-layering enhancements in a superhard diboride nano-layered system. Diboride nano-layer compositions have been selected that are predicted to result in a significantly tougher material, while maintaining desirable high hardness characteristics. In Phase I, the microstructure of the nano-layered materials will be investigated, and mechanical testing will be performed in order to establish the structure-property relationship of the nano-layering effect. Phase II will concentrate on developing the necessary experimental wear and corrosion data to demonstrate the advantageous nature of nano-layering. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Slurry pumps and nozzles subjected to erosive wear are prime candidates to benefit from enhanced wear-resistant materials. Both the cutting tool industry, where wear is a major factor, and the chemical industry, where corrosion is a major problem, could benefit from these advancements in superhard materials.