User:Pinkplatypoose/chameleon coating

Chameleon Coating or also known as Nano composite tribological coating is an adaptive adhesive that uses nanotechnology to adjust to environmental fluctuations to make living conditions more suitable to the object that the coat has been applied to.

Purpose
The purpose of chameleon coating is to provide optimal performance of material in any environment. The idea is that when a sudden change in the environment occurs the particular nano coating will change its chemical properties to better suit itself in the environment in order to avoid wear due to friction and abrasion. Chameleon coating is suppose to resolve the issues with fluid hydrolics where atmospheric pressure changes under different environments. The chemical properties of fluid hydrolics alter under different atmospheric pressure because liquids and gases expand and condense under different pressures. Thus the goal of chameleon coating is to provide the same lubrication in machines from fluids such as oil but without the drawbacks of the coating or lubrication deterioriating under variable environments.

Development
The beginning of Chameleon Coating was not always nanoscaled until recent developments in nanoengineering. Before the use of nano films (coatings), the films used to provide the beneficiary aspects of the coating would break down easier and faster due to consistent wear and tear. The use of the nano thin films helped control dislocating formation of the film and helped reduce the shear rate( rate at which the film deterioriated) due to abrasion and wear several folds over. The term “chameleon coating” was used in analogy to the actual coating of a chameleon where the coat of a chameleon is able to adapt to its environment as a defense mechanism to avoid predators and increase its chances of survival. The use of diamond-like carbons or DLC for short is generally one of the nano films used to inhibit abrasion. A possible nano film that could be used to counteract temperature changes are the pure metals Ag and Au (Silver and Gold). Silver and Gold can withstand high temperatures and remain soft which is desirable for coating properties. Using a lattice matrix ( a template for the coating using the basket weave design), nano engineers are able to utilize properties of the DLC’s and pure metals to make chameleon coatings more adaptable at even more varied environments.

Applications
The most common application for chameleon coating is in aerospace technology where the environment is always changing due to changes in altitude. On the earth the air is humid and temperature varies only slightly in consideration to other environments like space. The use of oil for reduced friction and wear, and lubrication applies to those ambient conditions only found on eartth. When the frontier changes and varies to temperatures of 500-1000 degrees Celsius many of these lubrications break down at accelerated rates and thus become useless. Space satellites are under such conditions where liquid lubrication is useless due to gravity. With the help of chameleon coating, the life expectancy of satellites range from 15 to about 30 years.