Surface Engineering Research Program Summary

SwRI conducts research, development and coating services for the practical treatment of materials and components using vacuum coatings, energetic ion beams and plasmas. Ion beams and plasmas are used to treat material surfaces to increase their resistance to corrosion, wear, fatigue failure, fretting and oxidation or to add functionality such as sensing, actuation and hydrophobicity. SwRI has nearly 40 years of experience in surface modification of advanced materials and performs work for the aerospace, energy and transportation, biomedical, manufacturing and tool and die industries.

Surface Engineering Laboratory Equipment

Processes include ion implantation of gaseous ions and ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) of metals, ceramics and diamond-like carbon (DLC). This effort has grown from a single large processing chamber that was 6 ft. by 4 ft. to six large systems with about 10 full- and part-time technical staff members. These resources are currently being used to address client needs in a variety of areas including friction and wear reduction in metal and ceramic components, biocompatible and catalytic coatings for polymeric materials, and treatments for corrosion and oxidation resistance. SwRI has worked with both government and commercial clients handling surface engineering projects in areas such as manufacturing, power generation and biomaterials. In the past five years, we have enhanced our capabilities to include plasma immersion ion processing (PIIP), plasma enhanced magnetron sputtering (PEMS) and nanoplatelet production, which allows production, coating and surface modification of advanced materials with higher throughput and potentially lower costs.

For more information about Surface Engineering, contact Kent Coulter, Ph.D., at (210) 522-3196.