SBIR-STTR Award

A number of techniques have been developed to coat organic matrix composites, such as chemical vapor deposition (cvd) and physical vapor deposition (pvd). However, while coatings can be produced by these conventional coating techniques, the coating suffer from a number of problems, including poor adherence and low density, such that they are marginal for practical applications on organic matrix composites for erosion resistance in turbine compressor applications. Ism has developed a proprietary technique of producing coatings on organic matrix composites that provide very substantial resistance to erosion for turbine compressor applications, including blades. The ism process will produce tightly adhering, high density ceramic coatings without excessive heating of turbine components. Moreover, ism can scale the process up to production level throughputs

ISM Technologies has successfully completed Phase I of an SBIR program by depositing hard ceramic coatings on organic matrix composite materials, including low temperature epoxy resin/carbon fiber composites.Hardnesses were achieved that are 10 to 20 times that of the composite materials. The success of this effort has led to this proposal to increase deposition rate, coating thickness, and coating quality and to subject the coatings to erosion tests. Successful erosion tests will provide a basis for additional work. This option part of the proposal would culminate in the deposition of ceramic coatings on actual turbine components. The work will include an analysis of the economics of the process for actual production deposition of turbine components, such as turbine rotor assemblies.