Abakan has reported that PComP, an innovative high-performance nanocomposite coating range from Powdermet and MesoCoat, has won the prestigious R&D 100 Award from R&D magazine, which has recognized the product family as the most important materials science innovation of 2012.
PComP nanocomposite coating portfolio delivers 3-80X higher performance than existing products and technologies utilized to offer corrosion and wear resistance such as laser cladding, physical vapor deposition, and chrome plating, but at a lower cost. The nanocomposite coatings comprise a combination of ultrafine, near nano-scale ceramic particles and metal binders in a unique hierarchical structure, which provides a toughness equivalent to that of a metal such as steel and the superior hardness of a ceramic material such as glass or diamond.
MesoCoat and Powdermet now commercially offer these nanocomposite coatings in the United States. These coatings were originally created with the US Army support to enhance diesel engine performance by lowering heat and frictional losses. The coatings are formed by a thermal spray process in which highly engineered particles are blasted at a surface using a modified hydrogen-oxygen rocket motor to make strongly adhered, nanostructured coatings. Unlike competitive chrome, cobalt or nickel plating processes, the thermal spray coatings can be applied at a lower cost without generating harmful wastewater. They eliminate the use of costly tools such as physical vapor deposition.
PComP nanocomposite coatings find use in OEM components in fluid control, pumping and mechanical systems, and are used for life extension and dimensional restoration of worn components. The engineered nanostructures provide benefits, such as lapping and self-polishing ability; easy and quick machining to very low surface roughness and tight dimensions; very low friction; combined toughness/resilience and wear resistance; and compatibility with mating metal and polymer services over naturally occurring and traditionally engineered materials.