J. H. Petersen, Ionic Fusion Corp, Longmont, CO

Summary: Nanofuse™ is a proprietary surface treatment that consists of an alloyed surface layer. The alloyed layer is created by doping metals and ceramics into the surface of components followed by deposition of an overlay coating. Nano-particle impregnation and the deposition of corrosion resistant materials were achieved using the proprietary Ionic Plasma Deposition (IPD) process. The IPD process was used to impregnate metals into the surface of components and deposit nitride, oxide and oxynitride coatings. High kinetic energies provided implantation of ions into the substrate and allowed uniform coating coverage even on non-line of sight surfaces and internal diameters. The source material ions were accelerated through proprietary devices to ensure that the ionized material was at the correct energy for the desired process results and for the substrate material. This allowed lower process temperatures than other PVD processes and a broader range of stoichiometries and multiple layers in the thin film. Stainless steel test samples were surface treated with Nanofuse™ Zr and Nanofuse™ XT to evaluate their corrosion resistance. Both surface modifications were shown to improve the corrosion resistance to hypo-chlorites and hydrogen peroxide. The resistance of Nanofuse™ treated cast iron and steel materials to sulfuric and nitric acid corrosion was also studied. Suggested uses for this process are food processing equipment, marine components, diesel engines and aerospace applications.