Computational Multi-Models Enabled Design of Safe & Sustainable Multi-Component High-Entropy Coatings

The project is directed at addressing challenges for developing next-generation high-entropy-alloy-based multi-component green (free of toxic substances) and sustainable (rare earth free & minimum critical metal elements) coatings with predictable functionalities, performance and life - aiming at increasing wear resistance by 100%, corrosion/oxidation reThe project is directed at addressing challenges for developing next generation high entropy alloy-based multi-component green (free of toxic substances) and sustainable (rare earth free & minimum critical metal elements) coatings with predictable functionalities, performance and life (hardness & wear resistance increased by 50-100%, corrosion resistance increased by 20-40%, and thermal stability & oxidation resistance increased by 30-60%) and effectively reduced use of CRMs by 30-40% by integrating AI/ML underpinned Computational Modelling with Safe and Sustainability by Design framework facilitated by high-throughput characterisation & evaluation.

These developments together will lead to a much efficient approach and tool to support the co-design of coating materials and substrate systems, optimisation of PVD processes, and reduced overall new coating system development cycle time by 50-100%, and material savings and waste reductions for developing the new coating systems by at least by 4-5 folds, comparing to traditional experimental trials and error approaches.

The advancement of M2DESCO will contribute to combating the loss in EU region caused by corrosion and wear, excellently increase the global profile and competitive edge of EU modelling community and significantly strengthen the competitiveness of EU coating research and business with an European market size of €196 mill in 2020 and €421M in 2026 for anti-corrosion coatings and anti-wear hard coatings respectively thus greatly benefiting the wider manufacturing chain and effectively increasing the global competitiveness and the resilience of EU industry.