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Generating a nanoporous structure that provides sufficient electrical conductivity to be able to electrodeposit functional films onto the surface of light alloys that are adaptive.
About
Aluminum and its alloys are a widely used material for automotive, structural and aerospace applications, however, without suitable functional coatings, many alloys suffer from environmental degradation due to corrosion. A number of processes have been developed to protect aluminum surfaces including anodizing, plating and chemical films. However, to effectively protect the aluminum surface either a thick plated or anodized film is required. However, with this innovative coating system for light metal alloy components, it will reduce cost, application time and weight of the coating material by 75%, as measured against industry-standard Electroless Nickel Phosphorus (ENiP) coatings. With the use of a proprietary “interlock” structure to create a thin film with a tight adhesive bond to the substrate, and can be applied to complex shapes and internal diameters. For advanced applications, the surface morphology can be adjusted to interact with different wavelengths of light or to respond adaptively in contact with water, oil, or air.
Key Benefits
Low-Resistivity Thin-film Coating: reduces time to apply and material costs and weight-reducing application Low-temp Process: reduce energy consumption during application. Additive Manufacturing: ideal for finishing 3d printed components. "Tunable" surface morphology ie; oleophobic, hydrophobic, hydrophilic or interchangeable.
Applications
High-end applications aerospace are required to provide high efficiency through weight-reduction as well as provide the component with outstanding functionality. All light-alloys retaining to Aerospace applications could benefit from this technology.