COVALENT BONDING AGENT FOR CERAMIC COATINGS

CERAMICS ARE ATTRACTIVE AS PROTECTIVE BARRIER COATINGS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR SOL-GEL-DERIVED COATINGS BECAUSE OF THEIR RELATIVELY MILD PROCESSING CONDITIONS. A FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM IN ALL CERAMIC COATING APPLICATIONS IS ADHERENCE OF THE COATING TO THE SUBSTRATE. CHEMICAL INERTNESS OF THE INVOLVED MATERIALS, MISMATCH IN THERMAL EXPANSION COEFFICIENTS, AND CERAMIC BRITTLE BEHAVIOR ARE ALL CONTRIBUTORS. A CRITICAL NEED EXISTS FOR AN IMPROVED OF COVALENTLY BONDING SOL-GEL CERAMIC COATINGS TO A VARIETY OF STRUCTURES IS BEING STUDIED. ONE END OF THE COUPLING AGENT IS SYNTHETICALLY TAILORED TO COVALENTLY REACT WITH METALLIC AND POLYMERIC SURFACES. THE SECOND END OF THE COUPLING AGENT IS CAPABLE OF CHEMICAL PARTICIPATION IN THE OXIDE GELATION PROCESS. THE RESULT IS A COVALENT CHEMICAL BOND STRUCTURE ACROSS THE INTERFACE. THE COUPLING AGENT IS SYNTHESIZED; SUBSTRATE REACTIONS STUDIED; STERIC ORIENTATION TECHNIQUES APPLIED; CERAMIC COATINGS BONDED TO THE SUBSTRATES; INTERFACIAL ADHESION MEASURED; AND SURFACES WILL BE FRACTURED UNDER WEAR LOADINGS AND EXAMINED.