Processing and Characterization of Nanocomposite Coatings using Aerosol-assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (AACVD) Method

This paper presents the use of a variant of the CVD process called aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) for the fabrication of nanocomposite coatings. AACVD involves the generation and delivery of aerosol precursors to the deposition region. The flexibility of atomizing precursor solution or suspension in the AACVD process makes it possible for the incorporation of pre-formed nanoparticles in the precursor solution and to co-deposit the particles and matrix concurrently on the substrate surface to form the desired nanocomposite coatings. Our recent results have demonstrated that AACVD is a promising method for the synthesis of nanocomposite coatings with the incorporation of nanoparticles into ceramic matrices. The synthesis of inorganic fullerene-like tungsten disulfide (IF-WS2) nanoparticles, as well as the processing and deposition mechanism of IF-WS2/Cr2O3 will be presented. The microstructure and properties of IF-WS2 and IF-WS2/Cr2O3 will also be highlighted.