Integran is pleased to announce that a Mil-Spec covering Integran's proprietary Nanovate CoP technology has been issued.
Nanovate CoP is an electrodeposited nanocrystalline cobalt-phosphorous alloy that excels in protecting steel from corrosion and sliding wear. This process was developed over the past decade to replace hard-chrome in hydraulic and actuator parts, like aircraft landing gear, industrial hydraulic rods and similar parts.
The tight knit structure of the nanocrystalline grains contributes to excellent salt spray protection of Nanovate CoP. The coating is therefore used to protect steel hydraulic rods in a variety of aggressive corrosion environments where hard chrome performance lags, like salt mines and concrete/garbage trucks where chloride rich muriatic acid wash-downs are common.
The Nanovate CoP also does very well in sliding wear due to the reduced coefficient of friction over hard chrome. Recent testing shows a very low friction coefficient when Nanovate CoP is wearing against other Nanovate CoP surfaces (like if a bushings are made from Nanovate CoP)
Fatigue results show that the Nanovate CoP coating does not impart a fatigue debit in high strength steels, and sometimes even causes a fatigue credit with lower strength steels. This is likely due to the structural nature of this high strength coating. In addition to being very strong, the material also possesses excellent toughness causing it to tolerate high strain environments, something that thermal sprayed HVOF coatings lack.
Perhaps most importantly, the Nanovate CoP process is very efficient, and can lead to some significant cost reductions over slow hard chrome plating. The number of tanks can be reduced, scrubbers eliminated, and waste handling streamlined, all while increasing the number of parts processed. This efficiency, coupled with the potential to reduce thickness while maintaining corrosion resistance, can lead to even high cost reductions.
The process is industrially scaled and deployed at Pratt and Whitney (Aero-engines), PTC Alliance (Enduro Industries, who call it Ecobar 27), and NavAir Jacksonville.
Interested in learning more about using it on your parts or licensing the process? Contact us today.