Cost-Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Coating Process

In 1995, Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc., and Surface Solutions, Inc., partnered to develop, test, and evaluate a promising, but experimental, coating technology invented by Surface Solutions. Early work with Surface Solutions' linear magnetron sputtering (LMS) process indicated that it had the potential to apply uniform, high-quality ceramic coatings to the internal surfaces of steel cylinders, but the innovative technology had been demonstrated only on a very small scale. If technical barriers were overcome, ceramic coatings could be applied as cheaply as hard-chrome plate, without generating the hazardous wastes associated with electroplating. The market opportunity, the potential for spillover benefits into other industries, the enabling nature of the technology, and Praxair's unique approach led the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) to award $793,000 in cost-shared funding to the company in 1995. When the project concluded in 1998, Praxair had made significant progress but had not achieved its technical goals. While the company is still interested in the technology, its current financial state prevents any further research and development activities.