Plasma Surface Engineering of Materials for Corrosion Protection

The surface of a component is very critical to maintain the proper functions when it is directly exposed to a very harsh environment. Various commercial treatments are available to enhance the surface properties including heat treatment and painting. For over a half of a century, plasmas have been studied for enhancing the surface properties of materials, and in some areas plasma surface engineering is applied to industrial components. In this paper, we will discuss the latest research at Southwest research Institute^® (SwRI^®) in this area and various technologies with the emphasis on materials corrosion protection. SwRI has established 12 vacuum systems with the largest size of 8ft long by 4 ft in diameter. The techniques we have developed include plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII), high intensity plasma ion nitriding (HIPIN), ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD), plasma immersion ion deposition (PIID), and plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering (PEMS) deposition. Using these techniques, we have studied various materials including metals and alloys, ceramics and polymers. In this paper, we will present the latest research results in the development of amorphous/nanocrystalline Al-Ce-Co coatings for Al alloys and steels, diamond-like carbon (DLC) deposition of various components, particularly on 1018 steel for erosion and corrosion resistance, and nanocomposite Ti-Si-C-N coatings for applications in extremely erosive and corrosive environments. Corrosion resistant coatings were developed using plasma surface engineering techniques. An overview of the deposition process and several examples of its successful application in manufacturing corrosion resistant coatings are presented. When compared to uncoated surfaces, significant improvement in corrosion resistance was observed.