Stable nanocrystalline metal alloy coatings with ultra-low wear
| DWPI Title: Coating for electrical contact comprises binary alloy comprising a set of columnar grains, solvent, and solute, where solute is preferentially segregated at grain boundaries |
| Abstract: The present invention relates to metal coatings and methods thereof. In certain embodiments, the invention relates to ultra-low wear noble metal alloys, such as for use in electrical contact coatings. |
| Use: A coating for electrical contact, including sliding electrical contacts. |
| Advantage: The noble metal alloy system shows remarkable thermo-mechanical nanocrystalline stability that can mitigate grain growth at extremely high temperatures and stresses, and as a result, reduce the wear rate and friction of nanocrystalline metals. These materials have wear rates similar to state-of-the-art non-conductive solid lubricants, such as diamond-like carbon, while exhibiting friction coefficients similar to PTFE nanocomposites. The alloy can provide high endurance limit with reduced film thickness, high strength, fatigue and wear resistance, and electrical conductivity, in which these benefits are observed at applied stresses and temperatures far exceeding the performance limits of conventional electrical contact coating technologies. The coatings can enable unprecedented performance gains, wear resistance, and long life in electrical contact applications. |
| Novelty: A coating comprises a binary alloy comprising a set of columnar grains, where ≥ 1 of the set of columnar grains has grain diameter of ≤ 100 nm and aspect ratio of ≥ 1:2, and where binary alloy comprises solvent and solute, in which solute is preferentially segregated at grain boundaries. |
| Filed: 5/1/2018 |
| Application Number: US15968618A |
| Tech ID: SD 14332.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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