CORRAL

Corrosion protection with perfect atomic layers

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The aim of this project is to develop high density defect-free ultra-thin sealing coatings with excellent barrier properties and improved corrosion resistance. Their successful functioning will be provided by the synergy of the coating “perfect” morphology and its complex structural design, which can be tailored at the nanoscale. The study will be focused on development of novel nanostructured coating systems, such as nanoscale multilayers, mixed and composite coatings. These impermeable sealing layers must be able to block the ion exchange between the substrate material and an aggressive environment, thus offering an efficient protection against corrosion over a long term. The coatings will be deposited by four alternative vapour deposition techniques, Filtered Cathodic Arc Deposition (FCAD), High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS), Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and Plasma Enhanced Atomic layer Deposition (PEALD)). These techniques possess a unique advantage offering the deposition of highly conformal and uniform films of high density, free of defects. The technological objective of the project is to demonstrate the feasibility of corrosion protection by FCAD, HIPIMS and ALD techniques on an industrial scale. To fulfil this objective, a complete industrial process for the multi-stage surface treatment, including cleaning, pre-treatment, coating deposition, must be defined. All techniques will be evaluated in terms of technical effectiveness, production costs, environmental impact and safety, and the most suitable technique(s) will be selected for further development on a large scale for the applications in some targeted industrial sectors. The applications, tested within this project, concern high precision mechanical parts (bearings), aerospace components (break systems) and gas handling components. The coating application in the decorative and biomedical domains will be assessed.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Scientists in Switzerland are developing nanostructured coating systems that will offer efficient protection against corrosion over the long term.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

EU-funded researchers in Geneva are developing 'high density defect-free ultra-thin' sealing coatings that will offer improved resistance against corrosion. These products will be created using nanotechnology to create impermeable sealing layers that will be able to block the ion exchange between the substrate material and an aggressive environment.

According to the scientists working on the 'Corrosion protection with perfect atomic layers' (Corral) project, the study will focus on the development of novel nanostructured coating systems such as nanoscale multilayers, and mixed and composite coatings. The coatings will be deposited by four alternative vapour deposition techniques, namely filtered cathodic arc deposition (FCAD), high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS), atomic layer deposition (ALD) and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). These techniques possess a unique advantage in that they offer the deposition of highly conformal and uniform films of high density, free of defects, explained the research team.

Corral plans to demonstrate the feasibility of corrosion protection by FCAD, HIPIMS and ALD techniques on an industrial scale. During this study, the scientists will therefore define a complete industrial process for the multistage surface treatment, including cleaning, pretreatment and coating deposition. Moreover, they will evaluate all the techniques in terms of technical effectiveness, production costs, environmental impact and safety.

The most suitable techniques will be selected for further development on a large scale for application in various industrial sectors, including for the protection of high-precision mechanical parts such as bearings, aerospace components like break systems and gas-handling components.