Erik Lewin

Nanocomposite nc-TiC∕a-C thin films for electrical contact applications

Thin film nanocomposites of nanocrystalline TiC embedded in a matrix of amorphous carbon have been prepared by nonreactive unbalanced dc-magnetron sputtering. These samples have been tested as coating materials for electrical contacts and show great potential as an alternative to traditional metallic coatings for contacts subjected to wear and friction. Through variation of composition and deposition temperature different microstructures have been attained. The coatings have been characterized using x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The performance of the coatings has been coupled to the microstructure whereby tuning and optimization possibilities have been identified.

Hard wear-resistant coatings with anisotropic thermal conductivity for high thermal load applications

High thermal load applications such as high speed dry cutting lead to high temperatures in the coated tool substrate that can soften the tool and high temperature gradients that can put stress on the coating/tool interface. In this work, theoretical considerations are presented for multilayer and graded protective coatings that can induce a significant anisotropy in their thermal conductivity. Solution of the heat equation shows that anisotropy of thermal conductivity has the potential to reduce temperatures and temperature gradients arising due to brief, localized heat at the coating surface (“hot-spots”). Experimental realization of high anisotropy is demonstrated in TiN/AlCrN multilayer coatings with variable layer thickness. In the coating with 50 nm bilayer periodicity, the highest anisotropy was obtained with a value of κ||/κ⊥=3.0±0.9. Time-domain thermoreflectance is used to measure in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivity of fabricated coatings. The observed high values of anisotropy of therm...

Modified high power impulse magnetron sputtering process for increased deposition rate of titanium

A modified version of high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) has been used to deposit titanium films at higher deposition rates than for conventional HiPIMS while maintaining similar pulse voltages and peak currents. In the present study, additional control parameters are explored through the chopping of the HiPIMS pulse into a pulse sequence. Experiments show that the use of sequences allows for an increase of the deposition rate of more than 45% compared to conventional HiPIMS. The increase in deposition rate is ascribed to a combination of reduced gas rarefaction effects, prevention of sustained self-sputtering, and a relaxation of ion trapping.

Carbon release by selective alloying of transition metal carbides.

We have performed first principles density functional theory calculations on TiC alloyed on the Ti sublattice with 3d transition metals ranging from Sc to Zn. The theory is accompanied by experimental investigations, both as regards materials synthesis as well as characterization. Our results show that by dissolving a metal with a weak ability to form carbides, the stability of the alloy is lowered and a driving force for the release of carbon from the carbide is created. During thin film growth of a metal carbide this effect will favour the formation of a nanocomposite with carbide grains in a carbon matrix. The choice of alloying element as well as its concentration will affect the relative amount of carbon in the carbide and in the carbon matrix. This can be used to design the structures of nanocomposites and their physical and chemical properties. One example of applications is as low-friction coatings. Of the materials studied, we suggest the late 3d transition metals as the most promising elements for this phenomenon, at least when alloying with TiC.

Wear-resistant magnetic thin film material based on a Ti1−xFexC1−y nanocomposite alloy

In this study we report on the film growth and characterization of thin films deposited on amorphous quartz. The experimental studies have been complemented by first-principles density-functional t ...

Flow hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol with nano-Ag/Al2O3

Herein, we report the first continuous-flow hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol with molecular hydrogen, as a reducing agent. This reaction converts a known pollutant into a high value product with only water as a by product, which is also the solvent. We employed Ag nanoparticles (<5 nm) supported on alumina, which were synthesized directly on low surface area alumina, avoiding the need for catalyst post-processing to confer the required nominal size for flow applications.

Synthesis and characterization of MoB2−x thin films grown by nonreactive DC magnetron sputtering

DC magnetron sputtering was used to deposit molybdenum boride thin films for potential low-friction applications. The films exhibit a nanocomposite structure with ∼10 nm large MoB2−x (x > 0.4) grains surrounded by a boron-rich tissue phase. The preferred formation of the metastable and substoichiometric hP3-MoB2 structure (AlB2-type) is explained with kinetic constraints to form the thermodynamically stable hR18-MoB2 phase with a very complex crystal structure. Nanoindentation revealed a relatively high hardness of (29 ± 2) GPa, which is higher than bulk samples. The high hardness can be explained by a hardening effect associated with the nanocomposite microstructure where the surrounding tissue phase restricts dislocation movement. A tribological study confirmed a significant formation of a tribofilm consisting of molybdenum oxide and boron oxide, however, without any lubricating effects at room temperature.

Hard and crack resistant carbon supersaturated refractory nanostructured multicomponent coatings

The combination of ceramic hardness with high crack resistance is a major challenge in the design of protective thin films. High entropy alloys have shown in earlier studies promising mechanical properties with a potential use as thin film materials. In this study, we show that small amounts of carbon in magnetron-sputtered multicomponent CrNbTaTiW films can lead to a significant increase in hardness. The film properties were strongly dependent on the metal composition and the most promising results were observed for TaW-rich films. They crystallised in a bcc structure with a strong (110) texture and coherent grain boundaries. It was possible to deposit films with 8 at.% C in a supersaturated solid-solution into the bcc structure without carbide formation. A major effect of carbon was a significant grain refinement, reducing the column diameter from approximately 35 to 10 nm. This resulted in an increase in hardness from 14.7 to 19.1 GPa while the reduced E-modulus stayed constant at 322 GPa. The carbon-containing films exhibited extremely little plastic deformation around the indent and no cracks were observed. These results show that supersaturation of carbon into high entropy films can be a promising concept to combine superior hardness with high crack resistance.

Continuous-Flow Hydrogenation of D-Xylose with Bimetallic Ruthenium Catalysts on Micrometric Alumina

Continuous-flow hydrogenation of D-xylose to xylitol was evaluated with pristine and silver modified ruthenium supported on micrometric alumina. The original size of alumina support is required for direct use in flow hydrogenation since it prevents setup clogging. The parent ruthenium catalyst shows high activity and selectivity to the desired product. However, there was an evident competition between adsorption of substrate and product desorption, and ruthenium nanoparticles aggregation. In situ modification of the parent catalyst with silver improved catalysts stability and minimize the competitive adsorption behavior between reactant and product.