Contact person: Per Eklund
Multicomponent alloys exhibit unique chemical and physical properties and therefore attract growing interest in the materials science community. Thin-film research on multicomponent alloys include metal alloys, carbides, nitrides, and oxides. They offer opportunities for corrosion-resistant steels and other metal alloys, while simultaneously retaining good electrical properties/conductivity, an essential advance in contact application such as contact plates for fuel cells and batteries.
The overall research question/objective to be addressed is the development and fundamental understanding of the emerging class of multicomponent coating materials, with focus on metallic alloys and nitrides/carbides. The WP covers projects on low contact resistance coatings for fuel cells, coatings for fuel rods in nuclear application, substrates for corrosion-resistant and resilient coatings for electrochemical devices, energy-efficient PVD processes, and electrochemically active coatings.
Contact person: Grzegorz Greczynski
In this project we aim to make the PVD processing more environmentally friendly. Efficient energy and resource consumption in industrial processes has been defined by United Nations as one of the sustainable development goals. The novel method proposed by us enables growth of high-quality coatings with a reduction of the process energy consumption by up to 83% (doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2021.127120; doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05975-5).
This approach is based on the use of high mass metal-ion irradiation for effective creation of low energy recoils that provide surface mobility sufficiently high to grow dense films even in the absence of external substrate heating. Apart from saving process energy the additional advantage is that coatings can be applied on temperature-sensitive substrates such as, for example, light metal alloys or polymers.
Contact person: Grzegorz Greczynski
The new state-of-the-art mass and energy analyzer especially suited for analyses in harsh plasma environments (such as those during cathodic arc deposition) is now available at LiU. With special features such as active water cooling and magnetic shielding, this instrument will enable plasma analyses under conditions identical to those during film growth. Precise knowledge of plasma composition and energy distribution of involved species is crucial for the advanced control of a coating’s nanostructure and phase composition. For example, newly developed cathodic arc sources will be characterized. Such characterization is also essential for the project on environment-friendly PVD growth (ion fluxes from recycles targets, background gas analysis, etc.).
Contact person: Lina Rogström
The industry is continuously striving to develop coating materials with an improved wear resistance for the design of next generation high performance cutting tools. To optimize the material properties, knowledge on the wear mechanisms on an atomistic scale during machining is crucial. Within FunMat-II, we use a combination of electron microscopy, mechanical testing, and in operando high-energy x-ray diffraction techniques during metal cutting to target the behavior of the tool coatings.
Contact person: Lina Rogström
Elastic properties for thin films are difficult to characterize, due to for example substrate influence, while experimental data is required to verify the theoretically predicted values. For many hard coating applications, the high temperature properties are important and high temperature measurements of elastic constants are even rarer and techniques still need to be developed. In FunMat-II we use optical techniques to determine elastic properties of hard coatings as a function of temperature. The results are used to verify theoretical calculations of elastic properties.
Contact person: Emma Björk
The sum of knowledge and competence of the research and industrial organizations participating in FunMat-II is very high, and significant new knowledge will further be gained within the center. Spreading this information within the center, as well as sharing our expertise with external universities and industries, will strengthen the competitiveness in Swedish industries.
In FunMat II we arrange 2 open seminars/webinars yearly with speakers both from the center as well as invited experts. The seminars can be directed towards a broader audience or focusing on cutting edge research for university staff and high technology industries. Read more about our seminars under Activities.
Contact person: Emma Björk
Swedish industry is in continuous need of new employees with relevant education in materials science. The project addresses the question on how the ratio of high school students, especially females, continuing with science and technology studies at universities could be increased. Graduating more students with a materials science education requires both more students that enters the university education, and also study curriculums designed to ensure good knowledge in materials science. Thus, active work must be done to inspire more young people to proceed to the university, and to adapt educational methods to decrease the step between secondary high school and university. In addition, the course curriculum at university level can be adapted to the requirements of material science knowledge within Swedish industry.
In FunMat-II we have designed a program where high school students yearly interact with people from the university to raise the interest for higher education. Also, high school teachers are trained further in material science. In addition, the gap between industrial needs and course curriculum within material science is identified to develop new material science courses.
We are arranging an Introduce a Girl to Engineering (IGE) day yearly, and our researchers are active in the development of new courses and programs at the university level.
iPIMS/Ti-DCMS co-sputtering