A Study on the Possibilities of Obtaining Intermetallic Coating of Al-Cu and Cu-Zn Systems Deposited on Metal Carrier

Abstract

The research aimed at investigating the possibility of obtaining thin intermetallic films, which can be used as thermal control coatings for spacecraft. The coating films build the passive part of the overall thermal control system of a spacecraft, thus they must provide strong adhesion with the carrier material and have high functional characteristics, optical ones in particular. The study concerned issues of synthesis of stable intermetallic phase of Al 4 Cu 9 , Al 2 Cu, Cu 5 Zn 8 on aluminum and copper carriers by magnetron layer-wise sputtering of reagents. They have looked into patterns of emergence of intermetallic coating applying modes of "rapid" and "slow" sputtering of reagents, applying various thicknesses of sputtered layers of reagents, temperature of the carrier, heat treatment of sprayed coatings. Incomplete and complete modes of synthesis of intermetallic coverage have been discovered. Obtained cross-sectional images of coatings, outcomes of microanalyzer scanning of reagent distribution through the thickness of sputtered coatings, microhardness values, optical absorption and emission ratios, unit of electric resistances, adhesion to the carrier. Obtained prototypes of intermetallic thermostatic coatings could be used in "solar reflectors" and "solar absorbers" classes. The results of measurements of optical and strength characteristics revealed that the intermetallic films can be used not only as thermostatic coatings for space technology, but also in general mechanical engineering, due to high-end mechanical properties.

Intermetallic Aluminide Coatings by Magnetron Sputtering

“…Intermetallic compounds differ in high hardness, chemical stability, electrical conductivity [5], which can be interesting for a number of applications. In the previous works of the authors [6,7] it was obtained the intermetallic coatings by the method of layer-by-layer magnetron sputtering on a substrate of reagent of Al-Cu and Cu-Zn systems, according to the scheme shown in Fig. 1a.…”