STTR Phase II: A New Process for Boride Coatings for Manufacturing Applications

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project is seeking the transfer and further development and commercialization of a new low temperature metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (LT-MOCVD) technology for boride coatings. The project will work to develop coatings for characterizations of adhesion, microstructure, morphology, composition and hardness. Selected coatings will be tested for friction and wear and corrosion resistance under laboratory test conditions on various common engineering substrate materials. The precursor preparation process will be scaled up and deposition will be done in an industrial scale deposition system. The coating process will be optimized for high hardness and good adhesion. Optimized coatings will be applied to components for testing at end users' facilities under production conditions. The broader impact/commercial potential of wear and corrosion resistant coatings are very attractive for their high hardness and good chemical stability, and have potential for many applications in the manufacturing sector in United States. The process developed in this project, of deposition of borides, will enable a wide spectrum of applications including cutting tools, die casting dies and inserts, transfer rolls for flat glass, components for chemical processes, armament industries, automotive and aerospace industries.