Multifunctional Coatings and Surface Engineering for Multisector Industrial Solutions and a Sustainable Future.

PROJECT COST:

4 419 718 $

PRIMA CONTRIBUTION:

995 718 $

PROJECT DETAILS:

Materials exposed to highly demanding environments in applications such as aircraft engines and industrial valves, as well as ophthalmic lenses and architectural glass glazing, continue to face increasing technological, environmental, and economic challenges, particularly as the performance of modern equipment, systems, and components is pushed beyond their limits. This results in accelerated material degradation due to excessive wear, corrosion, and other surface damage–related mechanisms, leading to increased operating and maintenance costs, reduced efficiency, premature failure, and compromised safety in so-called critical applications.

The project led by Prof. Ludvik Martinu at Polytechnique Montréal focuses on the development of a new generation of environmentally friendly, vapor-phase processes for the fabrication of nanostructured coatings with tailor-made properties.

The expectations of the industrial partners for this new project are high, given the strong synergy between them.
The development of new coatings, in collaboration with Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp., will increase the efficiency, reliability, and durability of aircraft engine components, and, in collaboration with Guardian Glass LLC, will enhance the performance of smart and low-emissivity windows for the green buildings of the future.

The new multifunctional coatings will enhance the quality of eyewear manufactured by EssilorLuxottica, thereby improving citizens’ vision, health, and productivity, while enabling Velan Inc. to advance valve technology for the energy, mining, and petrochemical industries.

The project will contribute to the training of a new generation of highly qualified personnel in the field of coatings and surface engineering, with 11 PhD students, 5 master’s students, 1 postdoctoral fellow, and 12 undergraduate students supported over a three-year period.

Overall, the project will have a significant impact on the training of the future workforce in Québec and Canada and will contribute to the development of new products and processes in Québec by strengthening its technological and economic competitiveness at the international level.