SBIR Phase II: A New Pseudo Amorphous High Temperature Oxide Material

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project will investigate the use of a new high temperature amorphous oxide material, CerablakTM, as a protective coating on components used in the molten aluminum industry. CerablakTM is a newly discovered sol-gel derived material that is thermally stable up to 1400 degrees Celsius over many hours. A patented precursor is used to form a continuous, dense, and smooth thin film using a simple dip coating process. The key property of CerablakTM is its relatively low oxygen diffusivity which enables its use for oxidation protection of metal and alloy surfaces exposed to elevated temperatures. The Phase I project showed that the material is non-wetting and compatible with molten aluminum. CerablakTM coatings developed on full-size thermocouple protection tubes showed excellent durability and non-wetting behavior. The Phase II project will optimize the coating quality for use in protection of thermocouple protection tubes, riser stalk tubes, molds, and dies. The commercial applications include protective coatings for metals and alloys used in turbine components and petrochemical refining, molten metal processing, thermal protection systems for space propulsion, cookware, and glass