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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/N23998/01
Title: MECHANISMS OF THERMAL DEGRADATION IN 3RD GENERATION SUPER-HARD PVD COATINGS
Principal Investigator: Rainforth, Professor WM
Other Investigators:
Munz, Professor W
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Bodycote H I P Ltd Hydra Tools International Swiss Ctr for Elec and Microtech CSEM
Tata Steel Limited
Department: Materials Science and Engineering
Organisation: University of Sheffield
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 May 2001 Ends: 31 March 2003 Value (£): 209,833
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Aerospace, Defence and Marine Manufacturing
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
29 Jun 2000 Structural Materials 29.6.00 Deferred
Summary on Grant Application Form
Property retention at elevated temperatures (up to 1000oC) is fundamental to the sustained performance of PVD nitride multilayer coatings in dry high speed cutting operations. Interdiffusion and oxidation rates are key determinants in property degradation at elevated temperature such as loss of hardness and chipping due to tribo-oxidation. Careful control of deposition parameters and coating chemistry is essential in order to engineer optimised microstructures for coatings having greatest resistance to failure in unlubricated high speed machining operations. However, not only is there little understanding about the fine scale structure and composition of these multilayers, but there has been no detailed research conducted to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of structure degradation at elevated temperature. These key microstructural elements will be investigated using ultra sensitive thermo gravimetry, FEGTEM, (HREM, ESI and EDX) and surface analysis (XPS, SLAMS, SIMS) to explore phase distribution in particular that of quarternary additions such a Y (in both as deposited and thermally exposed samples), which may serve to reduce the kinetics of oxidation. Finally coated carbide tools shall be tested under industrially relevant high speed cutting conditions with cutting speeds up to 25000 rpm to compare friction and the degradation mechanisms with those observed in the laboratory.
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Organisation Website: http://www.shef.ac.uk