There is a need for materials of exceptional hardness in order to coat mechanical components. One way to do this is take advantage of the properties of nanostructured materials. This book delivers practical insighta into a broad range of fields related to hard coatings, from their deposition and characterization up to the hardening and deformation mechanisms allowing the interpretation of results. In addition to the above-mentioned hardness, this type of coating often must meet other stringent criteria for mechanical properties such as excellent adhesion to the substrate and very high fracture toughness and other requirements. Their use in chemical aggressive environments at very high temperatures demand also very high oxidation/corrosion resistance and thermal stability. Thus, increasing concern is prevalent among researchers in this field concerning the development of coatings that could satisfy simultaneously all the necessary properties to guarantee successful implementation in real mechanical applications.

First book on nanostructured functional coatings with focus on mechanical applications Explains relationships between structure/microstructure and mechanical properties from fundamental concepts, through types of coatings, to characterization techniques Novel approach to fundamental principles behind nanostructured materials, the application of these principles to coated materials and technological results

Inhalt
Galileo Comes to the Surface!.- Size Effects on Deformation and Fracture of Nanostructured Metals.- Defects and Deformation Mechanisms in Nanostructured Coatings.- Nanoindentation in Nanocrystalline Metallic Layers: A Molecular Dynamics Study on Size Effects.- Electron Microscopy Characterization of Nanostructured Coatings.- Measurement of Hardness and Young's Modulus by Nanoindentation.- The Influence of the Addition of a Third Element on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of Transition-Metal-Based Nanostructured Hard Films: Part INitrides.- The Influence of the Addition of a Third Element on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of Transition-Metal-Based Nanostructured Hard Films: Part IICarbides.- Concept for the Design of Superhard Nanocomposites with High Thermal Stability: Their Preparation, Properties, and Industrial Applications.- Physical and Mechanical Properties of Hard Nanocomposite Films Prepared by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering.- Thermal Stability of Advanced Nanostructured Wear-Resistant Coatings.- Optimization of Nanostructured Tribological Coatings.- Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of Superhard Superlattice Coatings.- Synthesis, Structure, and Applications of Nanoscale Multilayer/Superlattice Structured PVD Coatings.