REFRACTORY MATERIALS COATING PROCESSES STRONGLY ADHERENT CERAMIC SURFACE LAYERS BY ION IMPLANTATION

REFRACTORY COATINGS ARE IMPORTANT FOR PROTECTING VULNERABLE SUBSTRATES FROM EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS. HOWEVER, ADHESION OF COATINGS DURING EXTREMES OF THERMAL CYCLING AND CORROSION LIMIT THE APPLICATIONS. INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN PROPERTIES, SUCH AS CHEMICAL STABILITY AND LOW FRICTION VERSUS ADHESION, MAKE THE SUCCESSFUL DESIGN OF USEFUL COATINGS QUITE DIFFICULT. A METHOD IS PROPOSED TO USE A NEW TYPE OF ION IMPLANTATION TECHNOLOGY TO IMPLANT A CERAMIC SURFGACE INTO AN ARBITRARY SUBSTRATE AND TO MAKE THICK LAYERS. ADHESION SHOULD BE EXCELLENT, EVEN FOR OXIDES, AND NORMAL CONCERNS ABOUT THERMAL EXPANSION MATCHING, IMPURITIES, AND CHEMICAL COMPATIBILITY SHOULD NOT APPLY. SAMPLES WILL BE FABRICATED AND TESTED AS A DEMONSTRATION.