The U.S. Army Technology Exploitation/Explor ation/Examination (TEX3) Program is funding efforts to determine how recent advances in nanotechnology can be of benefit to the military. One particular area of interest is nanocomposite thin films and coatings, a source of considerable study in recent years. Nanocomposites generally combine one or more nanocrystalline phases in a functional matrix to provide improved mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and/or thermal stability. One example of this is the combination of a soft solid lubricating phase with a hard wear resistant matrix to provide improved wear resistance. Solid lubrication is of significant interest due to the significant problems posed by use of conventional lubricants in desert environments. The goal of this work is to determine how deposition conditions relate to the morphological evolution of the nanostructure of a specific CrN-Ag model nanocomposite system and how these nanostructures correlate to mechanical and adaptive lubrication properties.
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