| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/R66364/01 |
| Title: |
A Fundamental Study of The Formation of Hard Nanocomposite Coatings. |
| Principal Investigator: |
Colligon, Professor J |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Chemistry and Materials |
| Organisation: |
Manchester Metropolitan University |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 March 2002 |
Ends: |
29 February 2004 |
Value (£): |
105,864
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Characterisation |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Aerospace, Defence and Marine |
Manufacturing |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Recent results have shown that, using ion asisted deposition, it is feasible to form a completely new range of nanocomposite coatings which could have potential applications in various field such as cutting tools and biomedical implants. The hardness of these coatings has been measured in the range 60-150GPa, the higher values exceeding that for diamond. It has been suggested that the exceptional hardness is related to the unique nanostructural form of the coatings which is created as a result of the energetic ion bombardment. The present limited limited understanding of the reasons for the formation of ultra-hard coatings indicates that the ion-asisted energy input can promote diffusion of an otherwise immiscible component of the alloy to form a nitride lattice which reaches a percolation level. in addition, for the TiN/Si3N nanocomposite, the formation of TiSi2 is critical for the films to become exceptionally (ultra) hard. The present proposal is to study the TiN/Si3N4 film deposition in detail using a dual ion beam system (which has superior parameter control compared to plasma-based methods) to determine the parameters that produce films with ultrahard properties. Composition, grain size, formation of TiSi2 and nanohardness will be determined using RBS, HRTEM, XPS and a nanoindenter, respectively. Because hardness of thin films is difficult to measure exactly, similar thicker films will be produced on a magnetron/ion beam system and on an unbalanced magnetron system; again aiming for the optimum Si content and formation of TiSi2. The stability of the hardest films will be tested by annealing at 1000oC in a dry nitrogen atmosphere and repeating the analyses.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.mmu.ac.uk |