Project coordinator @ CEST: Dr. Peter Velicsanyi

Project abstract:

“HARD2D” will for the first time adapt industrial surface hardening processes (carburizing, nitriding) to grow high quality two-dimensional (2D) materials on modern steels while concurrently hardening the steel surfaces. As 2D materials (graphene, hexagonal boron nitride) have the highest specific impermeabilities to corrosive species reported to date, this will realize unprecedented ultimately thin, highly impermeable 2D corrosion barrier coatings on hardened steel surfaces. Passivation of remaining defects in the 2D materials by selective non-2D oxide deposition will further improve barrier performance. To drive this ambitious research agenda the Austro-Chinese consortium (Vienna University of Technology, Shanghai University, RÜBIG GmbH & Co KG, CEST Centre for Electrochemical Surface Technology) uniquely combines leading track-records in 2D materials, 2D/non-2D hybrids, industrial surface hardening and corrosion. Consequently, “HARD2D” will provide a highly timely impetus to the use of 2D materials in future metallurgical production technologies. In “HARD2D” CEST will provide in-depth corrosion testing of the 2D material/hardened steel surface stacks and thus provide feedback for optimization of growth processes. Recently, CEST has been carrying out intensive research and development activities on wet-chemistry-derived graphene based materials incl. work and projects by CEST PI Dr. Peter Velicsanyi, whose results and experiences will be strongly used in the current project.