# US 12,006,565 B2 · Method for coating stainless steel press plates and coated press plates produced thereby

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- Number: US 12,006,565 B2
- Document ID: US12006565B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/821,367
- Filed: 2022-08-22
- Published: 2022-12-15
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2016-02-09
- Assignees: Wilsonart LLC
- Applicants: Wilsonart LLC
- Inventors: Muyuan M. Ma
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006565B2

## CPC

- C23C 14/0688: {Cermets, e.g. mixtures of metal and one or more of carbides, nitrides, oxides or borides}
- B30B 15/062: {Press plates}
- B32B 15/00: Layered products comprising {a layer of} metal
- B32B 15/01: all layers being exclusively metallic {(making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00)}
- B32B 15/012: {one layer being formed of an iron alloy or steel, another layer being formed of aluminium or an aluminium alloy}
- B32B 37/0046: {characterised by constructional aspects of the apparatus}
- C23C 14/025: {Metallic sublayers}
- C23C 14/067: {Borides}
- C23C 14/352: {using more than one target (C23C14/56 takes precedence)}
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- B30B: PRESSES IN GENERAL (producing ultra-high pressure or ultra-high pressure and high temperature to effect modifications of a substance, e.g. for making artificial diamonds B01J3/00 ){(compressing means for refuse receptacles B65F1/1405)}
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM

## Abstract

A method for coating stainless steel press plates includes preparing the stainless steel press plate for coating and coating the stainless steel press plate with a diboride doped with 1%-5% by weight aluminum to produce a diboride-aluminum coating. The step of coating includes applying the diboride-aluminum coating to a stainless steel press plate using a magnetron sputter coating system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for coating a substrate, comprising:
preparing a substrate for coating;
coating the substrate with a diboride doped with 1%-5% by weight aluminum to produce a diboride-aluminum coating, wherein the step of coating consists of applying the diboride using a first applicator of a magnetron sputter coating system and simultaneously doping the diboride with 1%-5% by weight aluminum by applying aluminum using a second applicator consisting of aluminum of the magnetron sputter coating system producing the diboride-aluminum coating consisting of the diboride and the aluminum upon the substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the diboride-aluminum coating has a Vickers hardness of at least 35 GPa.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the diboride-aluminum coating has a Vickers hardness of 46 GPa.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the diboride-aluminum coating has a thickness of about 3 microns.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of coating includes doping the diboride with 2% by weight aluminum.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of coating includes applying the diboride-aluminum coating at a substrate bias of 60-90 V and at temperature of 200° C.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the diboride-aluminum coating has a minimum bond strength of 1.6 kilogram force.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the diboride-aluminum coating has a minimum bond strength of 1.8 kilogram force.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of coating includes applying multiple layers of the diboride-aluminum coating.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the diboride-aluminum coating is applied in a two-stage process composed of a gradient based diboride-aluminum coating layer and a top titanium diboride-aluminum coating layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, wherein the gradient based diboride-Al coating layer is 600 nm in thickness.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein the top diboride-aluminum coating layer is 1,240 nm in thickness.