Southwest Research Institute

Kuang-Tsan Kenneth Chiang

Ronghua Wei

Lietai Yang Yang

James H Arps

Edward Langa

A method of depositing Ni&#x2014;Cr and Si coatings onto a turbine component comprising supplying a Ni&#x2014;Cr target and Si target with a dual-gun magnetron sputtering system; introducing inert gas and negatively biasing the magnet assembly; grounding or negatively biasing the turbine component to be coated; rotating the turbine component, wherein the turbine component has a surface; and forming a Ni&#x2014;Cr and Si coating on the component surface.

Nickel-chromium-silicon based coatings

Systems and methods for real time detection of corrosion of rebars embedded in a concrete structure. Test bars are selected for corrosion testing purposes, and may or may not also be part of the concrete reinforcement structure. These test bars are coated, and exposed sections of these test bars form a network of node electrodes. Electrical measurement from a counter electrode near a node electrode provides an indication of corrosion at that node electrode. Using a system of node electrodes and counter electrodes, a large concrete area may be monitored, and if corrosion is indicated, a methodical selection of electrodes can be used to locate the corrosion. The same concepts may be applied to detect corrosion in buried structures, such as pipelines and tanks.

Corrosion monitoring of concrete reinforcement bars (or other buried corrodable structures) using distributed node electrodes

An apparatus and method for magnetron sputter coating of an interior surface of a hollow substrate defining at least one irregular contour. The apparatus may contain a vacuum chamber and a target containing one or more metals having an exterior surface defining at least one irregular contour. The exterior surface of the target may be configured to conform to at least a portion of an irregular contour of the interior surface of the hollow substrate to be coated. A magnet assembly may be supplied which may include a plurality of magnets where the magnets are positioned substantially within a metallic target alloy.

Conformal magnetron sputter deposition

A method for depositing a nanostructured coating comprising chromium or a copper-chromium mixture on a workpiece. The workpiece may comprise a hollowed structure such as a rocket or jet engine combustion chamber liner. The method comprises providing a magnetron and an external sputter target material comprising chromium or a copper-chromium composite and effecting a magnetron sputter deposition to deposit a substantially uniform nanostructured coating comprising said sputter target material on said workpiece. The method may include plasma enhancement wherein a filament is utilized to produce a plasma that effects an ion bombardment on the workpiece during the magnetron sputter deposition process. The invention also includes the nanostructured coatings deposited by these methods and workpieces coated thereby.

Method for magnetron sputter deposition

Disclosed herein is an electrochemical corrosion sensor. The sensor may include an array of electrodes wherein each electrode may include a diamond like carbon coating disposed on at least a portion of the electrodes. The coating thickness may be at least about 1 micron. The electrodes may therefore provide relatively more accurate determination of electrode corrosion rates that may be more consistent with coupon type gravimetric testing.

Apparatus for measuring electrochemical corrosion

This invention is directed to a method of preventing oxidation of copper alloys at high temperatures by deposition of a nano-structured, low-chromium copper-chromium protective coating to copper-alloy components. The coatings of the present invention are applied by an ion beam assisted, electron beam physical vapor deposition and consist of copper and chromium particles having a diameter of about 10 nm. This invention also encompasses the coated copper-alloy components produced by the disclosed deposition methods.

Growing community of inventors

Helotes, TX, United States of America

Kuang-Tsan Kenneth Chiang