Through materials engineering based on elements doping and fiber incorporation, the team developed a series of novel ceramic materials formulations and growth/coating processes for various applications from aerospace, marine & offshore, defence, urban sustainability to biomedical industries. By improving/tuning the physical and mechanical properties of ceramic materials, the functional coatings and ceramic composite components show enhanced thermal, mechanical, optical and electrical properties.
Materials of interest:
- Ceramic oxides
- Ceramic carbides & nitrides
- Ceramic composites
Capability
1. Ceramic composite synthesis and sintering
- Nano-size particle mill
- Planetary Centrifugal Vacuum Mixer
- 3D printing of ceramic composites
- Gas protective/vacuum tube furnace (up to 1200 oC)
- Hybrid microwave assist furnace (Carbolite, up to 1600 oC)
- In-situ high temperature furnace (TOMMI, up to 1750 oC)
- High-speed spark plasma sintering (SPS) (Ed-Pas III, up to 2800 oC)
2. Thin film growth & coating techniques
- Electron-beam evaporation
- Combinatorial ultra-high vacuum (UHV) pulsed laser deposition (PLD)
- High temperature ultra-high vacuum (UHV) sputtering with surface treatment & characterization (XPS)
- Thermal spray coatings: atmospheric plasma spray (APS) & High velocity oxy-fuel spray (HVOF)
3. Smart energy saving & self-cleaning coatings
- Transparent conductive coatings
- Multi-functional heat rejection coating
- Smart thermo-chromic (TC) coating
- Visible light photocatalytic self-cleaning coating
4. Surface enhancement & protective coatings
- Direct surface plasma oxidation & nitridation
- Plasma Electrolyte Oxidation (PEO) coatings
- Thermal barrier coatings
- Wear resistance coatings
- Corrosion resistant coatings
5. Unique materials characterization techniques
- Mechanical properties: hardness, wear, friction & fatigue
- Thermal stability: in-situ high temperature XRD (up to 1200 oC) & in-situ high temperature furnace (up to 1750 oC)
- Stress measurement: x-ray stress analyser & centre hole drilling
- Optical properties: temperature dependent IR-VASE Spectroscopic Ellipsometer (2 to 30 microns)
- Corrosion testing: salt spraying, solution-based electrochemical testing & hot corrosion testing in reactive gas (ASTM standard testing or customized research under unique condition)
Highlights / Achievements (list of selected patents)
- Method to fabricate highly conducting and transparent zinc oxide at room temperature
- Method of improving the transparency and conductivity of transparent conducting oxide for various applications
- Multi-functional heat rejection coatings
- Method of treating thermal barrier coating
- Large area layer controlled growth of transition-metal chalcogenides
- Carbon nanotubes reinforced wear resistant ceramic coating