ADVANCED COMPOSITES & COATINGS
Advanced composites and coatings can provide functionality for a wide range of applications. In many cases, advanced ceramics are used when traditional materials aren't able to withstand certain conditions or offer the level of protection required. Ceramic composites and coatings can be extremely strong, resistant to high temperatures, and highly durable; making them ideal candidates for use in numerous industrial settings where heavy wear and tear or caustic environments require advanced levels of protection. Whether you're looking for advanced radiation shielding, advanced friction reduction components or any other advanced ceramic application, advanced ceramic composites and ceramic coatings have the potential to save money and increase efficiency on an industrial scale.
ADVANCED COMPOSITES
CERAMIC COMPOSTES
Ceramic composites are hybrid materials that combine ceramic with metal, ceramic with ceramic, ceramic with plastic, or ceramic with other ceramic materials. By combining different ceramic materials, these advanced composite materials often possess superior strength and properties that far exceed those of individual components. Developments in ceramic composite technology have made possible a wide range of new practical applications in the automotive, aerospace, electrical/electronic and medical industries. While still expensive to produce due to the complexity of their manufacture, ceramic composites are being used increasingly by manufacturers who require high-performing components for specific functions. These advances have helped open a whole world of possibilities for complex structures and more efficient design solutions.
CARBON COMPOSTES
Carbon composites are materials composed of carbon molecules that have been arranged in a specific pattern to create a durable material. Often found in the construction and design of airplanes, boats, and other various industries, carbon composite materials differ from standard materials because they possess increased strength, durability, and greater chemical resistance. Carbon composites' unique properties account for their wide range of applications; they are used to not only reinforce existing structures but also create lighter weight objects with an improved strength-to-weight ratio. Carbon composites are becoming more prevalent due to their versatility and dependability in aerospace, sports equipment, medical tools and implants, automotive parts, and more. This amazing material continues to revolutionize our world with its plethora of uses, and SINTX makes it easy to take advantage of all of these possibilities in your business.
CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES
For those looking to transport more heat and stress with ceramic materials, ceramic matrix composites (CMC) are the ideal choice. CMCs are constructed of ceramic fibers held together by ceramic or metal binders. This combination of ceramic and metal creates a material that is strong enough to withstand extreme temperatures and pressure while also lightweight enough for easy use and transportation. This versatility has made ceramic matrix composites a popular choice among automotive engineers, aerospace fabricators and other industries that rely on performance from ceramic materials.
CMC Applications
SINTX fabricates CMC components via a low-cost, rapid CVI process based on a gas-pulsed, reverse thermal gradient CVI (GP-RTG CVI) for the following applications:
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Hypersonic propulsion, “zero erosion” nozzle liner
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Divert attitude propulsion (DACS) thrusters and lightweight injectors
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Ion optics C(ϝ)/C grids
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Graded Cf- SiC/HfC CMCs for Liquid Rocket Nozzles
Low Cost Approach to CMC Fabrication
CMC fabrication is an attractive option for many engineering projects since CMCs are often light, strong, and resistant to high temperatures. CMC fabrication is a complex procedure that utilizes advanced technologies such as CMC powders, "laser processing," advanced metrology equipment, and mathematical analysis to ensure the CMC takes on the desired properties. SINTX’S CMC fabrication methods also involve joining CMCs components with other materials and processes such as infiltrating CMC preforms into a metal matrix or laminating thin layers of CMCs together to create multi-layer composites. When you need to manufacture lightweight, reliable parts even in sharply featured shapes through reliable replications, choose CMC fabrication.
SINTX has developed several approaches to fabricating CMCs using Chemical Vapor Infiltration (CVI) and Polymer Infiltration and Pyrolysis (PIP), at significantly lower costs than by conventional means:
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Colder surface – maintains open surface porosity
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Cycling P – maintains high matrix growth rates
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Reactant consumption reduced considerably
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Allows variable matrix architectures
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Reduced processing/component costs
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Six-fold reduction in time, ten-fold reduction in cos
ADVANCED COATINGS
Coating services provide many benefits to a variety of materials and industries. Ceramic coating services offer exceptional protection from temperature and environmental conditions, providing a thermal barrier coating (TBC) that prevents heat loss. Deposition coating such as CVD coating can improve the surface properties of various metals, providing excellent dielectric strength, mechanical properties, wear resistance and corrosion protection. An environmental barrier coating (EBC) also provides improved performance in highly abrasive environments making it ideal for components like diesel engines and gas turbines. SINTX offers coating services with impressive benefits to all kinds of different materials facing adverse or challenging conditions.
Single and multilayer CVD coatings of C, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, Ti, Re, SiC, NbC, ZrC, HfC, Mo2C, TaC, B4C and others are available on request. Magnetron Sputtered Coatings including multilayers of virtually any ceramic, metallic and polymeric material are also available on request.
CERAMIC COATINGS
Advanced ceramic composites are an advanced form of materials technology, offering unparalleled durability and superior performance in a range of applications. Ceramic coating services provide advanced protection and are increasingly being sought after by businesses across a variety of industries due to the added conditioning that comes with advanced application methods. With the combination of advanced ceramic composites and ceramic coating services, your organization can receive improved protection for your assets, higher levels of efficiency in operations and greater longevity of your products. This makes advanced ceramic composites a great choice for any business seeking to future-proof their investments and minimize maintenance costs.
THERMAL BARRIER COATINGS (TBC)
Thermal barrier coating (TBC) is a thermal insulation material used to protect thermal and mechanical elements affected by high temperatures. They protect components from thermal degradation, allowing them to operate at temperatures higher than the material's melting point.TBCs are most commonly found in power plant and gas turbine engines. Thermal barrier coating reduces the need for frequent repair or maintenance, while allowing the engine to run efficiently and effectively.
In these thermal environments, TBCs prevent substrate materials from succumbing to thermal and oxidation damage, further extending the life of components exposed to high thermal stresses. Thermal barrier coating provides thermal protection for systems operating in oxygen-rich atmospheres where exposure increases oxidation rates of materials. The tougher surface provided by a TBC isn't just resistant to high temperatures; it can also offer enhanced durability capabilities with regard to erosion resistance, lubricity, fatigue strength, surface compression strength and extreme temperature resistance.
CVD COATINGS
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD coating) is a specialized technique for producing high quality materials that are strong and reliable. It works by having organometallic or halide compounds react with other gasses under vacuum to create solid thin films on substrates using multidirectional flow, as opposed to the line-of-site method of physical vapor deposition. CVD coatings can fabricate monocrystalline, polycrystalline, amorphous or epitaxial forms which play an integral role in micromanufacturing processes across many industries.
SINTX's CVD coating services offer a wide range of capabilities used in the fields of medical manufacturing, aerospace engineering, and scientific research. Chemical vapor deposition coatings provide high quality surfaces by bringing a good combination of tribology, and lubricity to parts subjected to extreme temperatures and corrosive substances. CVD applications go beyond medical devices, as they have been proven useful in the protection of aircraft engines and are also used in custom precision optics for research purposes.
Clients utilize our tailored CVD coating services for all sorts of needs, from thinning protective layers to enhancing the performance of cutting-edge experiments. Whether you need CVD coating services to bring your product concept to life, or want to improve the functionality of existing equipment, our CVD coating services can provide great value to your business.
PVD MAGNETRON SPUTTERED COATINGS
Magnetron sputtered coatings – multilayered:
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Residual stresses significantly influence the coating bulk properties
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Developing process control to determine residual stress, texture, surface roughness, etc. of coating during growth
Properties:
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Thermal EBCS for SiC CMCs up to 2850˚ F
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Wear resistance – B₄C/SiC, B₄C/W, etc.
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Solid Lubrication – MoS₂/Au-Pd
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Quasicrystalline/Nanocrystalline coatings
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CrN/Cr2N Corrosion Resistant
ENVIRONMENTAL BARRIER COATING (EBC)
Environmental barrier coating (EBC) is a revolutionary and innovative technology developed to protect metals, plastics and other materials from environmental damage. This type of coating is ideal for improving the durability of industrial components typically subjected to harsh environmental factors such as UV radiation, high-humidity, salt water, extreme temperatures and highly polluted atmospheres. When environmental barrier coating is applied correctly, it serves as an effective barrier to prevent degradation from occurring.
Research shows that environmental barrier coating can significantly enhance the performance and lifespan of components due to the enhanced protective properties it provides by isolating them from their hostile environment. The potential uses of environmental barrier coatings are vast, whether in aerospace or automotive industries and beyond. SINTX's environmental barrier coating technology can revolutionize modern industrial manufacturing and empower you to offer superior products to your valued clients.
FUNCTIONALLY GRADED MATERIAL (FGM) OPTIONS
HIGHLIGHTED PROJECTS
Lightweight, Long Life (Cooled) Thrust Cells
Objective:
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To establish multiple-use thrust cells for 3rd generation RLV applications
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Establish cooled composite designs for use with LH₂/LOₓ fuels
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Demonstrate firing of liquid H₂ cooled CMC design
Results:
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C(f)/C-HfC₉₀/SiC₁₀ was selected and tested
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Three nozzles were fabricated and tested – surviving for more than 250 seconds at 4700˚ F
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At chamber pressures of 500psi, CMC showed gas permeability
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No throat erosion was observed following 250 seconds at 4700˚ F
Lightweight, Long Life (Cooled) Thrust Cells
Objective:
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Demonstrate low-cost, rapid CVI process for the fabrication of C(r)/SiC DACS thrusters
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Demonstrate significant cost reduction over existing Noveltex DACS thrusters (THAAD)
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Establish SINTX as a low-cost, second-source supplier of CMC DACS thrusters
Results:
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Established a rapid CVI process based on GP-RTG CVI
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Densified C(r)/SiC thrusters to ~85% in less than 40 hours
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Developed fully automated process control system for majority of CMC processing
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Demonstrated directional matrix growth and optimized process for DACS thrusters
APPLICATIONS OF COMPOSITES & COATINGS
SINTX’s advanced materials offer a unique combination of properties such as high mechanical strength, chemical inertness, and the ability to tolerate high temperatures. This makes ceramic coatings ideal for a variety of industrial applications including cutting tools, bearings, and engineering components. The use of advanced ceramic composites has grown significantly in recent years due to their beneficial features.
In addition, ceramic coating services provide advanced surface treatments like hardening coatings, biocompatibility coatings, thermal spray ceramics, and dozens more. Our ceramic coatings also offer improved wear resistance, cleanability, and corrosion protection, among many other benefits. As advanced ceramic technologies continue to be developed and advanced, ceramic composite usage expands, products made with these advanced materials will be increasingly used in a wide range of industries.
CERAMIC COMPOSITES (CVI-PIP) and COATING (CVD)
C(f) or SiC(f) - C, SiC, HfC, ZrC, NbC, TaC, TiC, B4C, HfB2, Mo,Zr,Hf Ir, Nb, Re
Fabrication of CMC components via a low-cost, rapid CVI process based on a gas-pulsed, reverse thermal gradient CVI (GP-RTG CVI)
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Hypersonic propulsion, “zero erosion” nozzle liner
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Divert attitude propulsion (DACS) thrusters
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Ion optics C(ϝ)/C grids
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Long-life, fiber interface coatings
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Lightweight injectors for DACS
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Graded Cf- SiC/HfC CMCs for Liquid Rocket Nozzles
WHAT SETS SINTX APART?
SINTX has a long history of developing composites and coatings for extreme environments which has allowed us to gain expertise with both C and SiC fibers, debond coatings including carbon and SiC, dozens of different options for the composition and the production process for the ceramic matrix, and a wide array of final barrier coatings.
SINTX offers the best in advanced ceramic coating and composites for a multitude of industries, and can help you to offer a more durable, and dependable finished product to your existing and future customer base. Give superior quality without needing to drastically alter your existing business model or expand your space:
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Toll processing as well as full process development
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Extensive expertise in fixture and susceptor design
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Large CVD/CVI chambers
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Multiple options to customize coating and infiltration conditions
Take your product to the next level. Contact our team of experts today for more information and to get started.