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US 10,472,727 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for continuously applying nanolaminate metal coatings
AssigneeModumetal, Inc.
InventorChristina A. Lomasney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described herein are apparatus and methods for the continuous application of nanolaminated materials by electrodeposition.
Claims27
A method of electrodepositing a nanolaminate coating comprising:
- providing an electrodeposition cell comprising an anode assembly and a cathode assembly, that are arranged in the electrodeposition cell, the anode assembly comprising a first portion and a second portion that is spaced apart from the first portion;
- and
- electrodepositing a first nanolaminate coating on a first surface of a conductive workpiece and a second nanolaminate coating on a second surface of the conductive workpiece, the first and the second nanolaminate coatings each comprising a plurality of nanolaminate layers, each nanolaminate layer of the plurality of nanolaminate layers differing from adjacent nanolaminate layers in structure or composition, the electrodepositing comprising:
- moving the conductive workpiece through an electrolyte comprising salts of two or more different electrodepositable metals in the electrodeposition cell by winding the conductive workpiece around a plurality of rollers in a path, the path passing the conductive workpiece between the first portion and the second portion of the anode assembly, the conductive workpiece passing a first distance from the first portion of the anode assembly and a second distance from the second portion of the anode assembly, the second distance being different than the first distance, thereby causing the first nanolaminate coating and the second nanolaminate coating to have different thicknesses;
- and
- controlling the current density applied to the conductive workpiece in a time varying manner as it moves through the electrodeposition cell, with a power supply.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- moving a workpiece through an electrolyte comprising salts of at least two metals by winding the workpiece around a plurality of rollers in a path that passes the workpiece between a first portion and a second portion of an anode assembly arranged in an electrodeposition cell, the workpiece being arranged a first distance from the first portion of the anode assembly and a second distance from the second portion of the anode assembly, the second distance being different than the first distance, the electrodeposition cell further comprising a cathode assembly;
- and
- electrodepositing a first nanolaminate coating on a first surface of the workpiece and a second nanolaminate coating on a second surface of the workpiece, the first and the second nanolaminate coatings each comprising a plurality of nanolaminate layers, each nanolaminate layer of the plurality of nanolaminate layers differing from adjacent nanolaminate layers in structure or composition, the first nanolaminate coating and the second nanolaminate coating having different thicknesses, the electrodepositing comprising:
- applying a current density in a time varying manner to the workpiece as the workpiece moves through the electrodeposition cell, the current density being controlled by a power supply.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.