Coating - Materials

PComP stands for Particulate Composite Powders. These materials are nano-structured ceramic-metal composites formed with a nanocomposite core and binder coating, which are made using combination of low friction, high wear resistance and excellent corrosion resistant materials. The nanocomposite core provides high wear resistance, low friction and light weight, and the binders provide corrosion resistance, toughness, ductility, resiliency, and improved deposition efficiency. This combination results in a high-toughness, ductile-phased toughened structure of high hardness tiles separated by ductile binder laminates. The PComP™ family of coating materials has been designed to act as drop-in replacements for thermal spray powders and will work with today’s existing application systems.

This combination arises from a unique, patented coating microstructure that combines high hardness zones of a ductile metal in an optimal geometry. PComP™ coatings are 70% lighter than Tungsten Carbide WC coatings, and 40% lighter than the hard chrome alternative due to the use of light and low cost silicon-based reinforcements.

PComP™ is not only a non-toxic alternative to chrome, but is better in every performance characteristic as well, providing a coating that lasts at least twice as long as chrome.

 

PComP Microstructure

PComP™ Value Proposition

High Performance
  • PComP™ offers high wear and corrosion resistance, high deposition rates, low spallation, low density, and easily grindable thermal spray coating compositions to replace Tungsten Carbide Cobalt (WC-Co) and hard chrome plating in high corrosion and wear applications
  • PComP™ nanocomposite thermal spray powders offer an unparalleled combination of both toughness and hardness.
  • Low Modulus – Reduced spallation (chipping) due to the low modulus of the coating.
  • 4-10 times the toughness/ductility of standard Tungsten Carbide.
  • Up to 100 times lower system wear in some valve, pump and hydraulic seal applications.
  • Up to 100 times reduced wear on mating parts – low friction and low asperity size.
Low Density
  • The cost of a coating technology is directly proportional to its density. By definition, a less dense material covers more surface area for a given weight. Due to their low density, PComP™ coatings will be 75% lower in cost than carbide coatings and 40% lower in cost than nanosteel coatings for an equivalent weight of powder. PComP™’s chief innovation is that it replaces iron with nickel and silicon. The result is a significant reduction in density.
  • PComP™’s reduced density (3.5-6.5 g/cm3 versus 16) vs. means that it can coat three times the surface area per pound and per hour of application time.
  • In the market for aircraft landing gears repair and refurbishment, our PComP™ nanocomposite coatings are 75% lighter than carbide alternatives and can be applied in 30% of the time (including final grinding times) without generating toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or worker exposures to toxic hexavalent chrome. This lower density translates into roughly 200 lbs of weight savings for a commercial aircraft such as the Boeing 787 or 20 lbs for a fighter such as the joint strike fighter. The general rule of thumb is that every additional pound of weight on a commercial airliner results in a $5,000 per year fuel expense. PComP™ coatings can be applied at 50% lower costs than current chrome or carbide alternatives in use today.
Utilizes Existing Application Equipment
  • Drop-in replacement for WC-Co, WC-Co-Cr and Chrome Plating (Cr3C2-NiCr) thermal spray feedstock.
Lower Machining Costs
  • The other major cost driver for coatings is machining cost. PComP™ coatings can be machined 3-5X faster than carbides and with silicon carbide or potentially alumina wheels instead of diamond wheels.
Environmental Benefits
  • The driving idea behind the development of the PComP™ family of products was to produce a suitable alternative for replacing Hexavalent Chrome, which is being heavily used in the industry. The hexavalent oxidation state is the most toxic form of chromium which has led to it being identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of 17 “high priority” toxic chemicals for voluntary reduction through the 33/50 Program.