HIGH TEMPERATURE OXIDATION BARRIER COATINGS FOR REFRACTORY METALS

REFRACTORY METALS ARE ONE OF THE FEW GROUPS OF MATERIALS SUITABLE FOR APPLICATIONS INVOLVING HIGH TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENTS. MANY OF THESE METALS FORM VOLATILE OXIDES AND ERODE AT APPRECIABLE RATES. SEVERAL NOBLE (PRECIOUS) METALS ARE REFRACTORY IN NATURE BUT ARE FAR LESS SUSCEPTABLE TO OXIDATION. SUCH METALS CAN BE ELECTRODEPOSITED FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS IN THIN COATINGS ON VARIOUS SUBSTRATES TO FORM OXIDATION BARRIERS. WE PROPOSE TO PROTECT REFRACTORY METAL STRUCTURAL DEVICES IN THIS WAY AND DEMONSTRATE THAT ELECTRODEPOSITION OF NOBLE METALS CAN OVERCOME THE SIZE, CONFIGURATION, AND COST DISADVANTAGES OF OTHER FABRICATION TECHNIQUES.