Centre of excellence for high productive plasma treatment of materials and additive creation of structures
In the first activity of the project, the possibility of evaluation of composite erosion using accessible spectroscopic equipments were verified. These equipments are intended for optic-emission analysis of the elements (LIBS and SD OES). These methods were used to evaluate and to compare erosion resistance of four types of developed composites with copper matrix. Copper matrix was strengthened by one dimensionally oriented W wires and/or Al
2O
3 skeleton with various porosity. Technology for the preparation of electrodes was gradually optimized during the project. The electrodes were tested in equipment developed by GA Drilling company which generates plasma. The experiments have shown that cathodes produced at the Institute gave several times higher operating time than up to now used materials.
In the second project activity, the research continued in the field of additive forming of structures. Using the technology of cold sputtering, other series of specimens with Al matrix strengthened by rock particles from calcite and granite were prepared. In both cases (after heating to 320 °C and 600 °C), analysis of microstructure showed that there are no phase changes at the interface between rock particles and aluminium matrix. The microstructure of all samples was approximately the same. The measurements of expansion showed that, despite the mechanical bond at the interface there is no disintegration of the composite.
The third activity was directed to the acquisition of infrastructure that allow to improve the preparation of specimens for the observation in electron microscopes.