Thermal Barrier Coating Systems (TBC) Technical Expert and Power Generation-Propulsion Engine Consultant
Technical Consultant #2080
Expertise
- TBC - Thermal Barrier Coatings; zirconia, aluminas, silicates and perovskites.
- Bondcoat; MCrAIY's and aluminides.
- Metallic superalloys; nickel, nickel-colbalt and ferrous.
- Ceramic substrate materials; aluminas, silicas and REO's.
- Thermal protection systems and materials; titanium and nickel based.
- Gas turbine engines - aeropropulsion.
- Fired heaters -petrochemical upgraders and refiners.
- Power generation - natural gas, coal and petcoke, solar, alternative.
- Heat exchangers - active and passive recuperation, rejection and regeneration.
- Pipelines - gas and liquid transport and process piping.
- Aerospace propulsion materials and processes.
- Gas Separations - membrane purification and syngas reforming.
- Vacuum infiltration coatings and coating systems.
- Thermal spray coatings (Plasma, flame spray, DVM)
- Sol-gel coating processes.
- CVD coatings (low pressure MOCVI).
- PVD and vacuum sputtering deposition.
- Powder coatings and conversion coatings.
- Metallurgical castings and thermally formed coatings.
- Materials processing expertise.
- SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) analysis, operation, maintenance, and specifications and installation.
- Cross-sectional and planar materials preparation and analysis; fracture analysis; melt studies, SEI, HRSEI, BSE, EDS, image processing (manual and digital), TEM, AFM, XRD, ICP/AES, NMR (liquid state), FTIR, DTA/TGA, calorimetry and analytical chemistry methods.
- Optical microscopy and metallurgical microscopy methods.
- Metallographic sample preparation.
Experience
Independent Consultant, Present
- Providing clients with state of the art and practiced knowledge in the following areas in advanced thermal barrier coatings;
- Hands on materials characterization and analysis.
- Nondestructive materials evaluations.
- Coating production and fabrication; sol-gel, thermal spray, physical vapor deposition and plasma spray.
- Post-production materials treatment development; sealant treatment processes and heating and aging.
- Materials microstructure evaluation; structure-processing-property relationship, base mechanical and physical properties studies and thermal-moisture based aging.
- Thermomechanical testing-analysis; k-T behavior-evolution of thermal behavior, thermal heat transfer studies, strain tolerance, oxidation behavior and fatigue-stress response.
- Corrosion testing-analysis; CMAS-modeling behavior, resistance of zirconia TBC's, fly ash, sulfur and vanadium, water and humidity.
- Materials qualification; thermal-thermomechanical testing-protocol, program management, OEM, validation and FAA certification.
Applied Thin Films Inc., Skokie, IL, Lead-Founding Engineer, 1998 - 2014
- Senior Processor for the Materials - Applications and Engineering Department.
- Technical team member in small business in specialty chemicals.
- Successfully developed a range of advanced surface coatings and treatments.
- Design, research and development, testing, and applications development of new coating materials.
- Thermal barrier coatings; nano-scale glass coatings, and CVD coatings.
- Process design and implementation for coating application methods.
- Principal Investigator on over 25 completed technical projects in the area of coatings and advanced and high temperature materials.
- Over $10 million earned revenue cumulative responsibility.
Additional Projects and Essential Functions
- Development of new coating materials, architectures, and application processes.
- Securing incoming company revenue.
- Commercialization of coating technology - marketing, proposals, technical sales and support, contract negotiations, technology insertion and follow-up process monitor.
- For thermal barrier coatings (k-T, sintering, CMAS corrosion, TGO formation) provided technical consulting and experience.
- Head of Characterization and Analysis Laboratory.
- Provided technical expertise in protective glass coatings; (oxidation, corrosion, diffusion limiting).
Capstone Achievements
Oil and Gas Industry
- Project initiator, team lead, and principal investigator that developed and installed novel coating material in active production oil refinery furnace.
- Installed anti-coking coating resulting in over 30% furnace specific downtime reduction.
- End-to-end project required defining every step of a new effort in multiple areas: technical sales, engineering, business relationship, project budgets, execution plan and timeline creation, job definitions and work distribution, complete logistics, vendor acquisition - co-ordination, process design and implementation for coating application.
- Premier pioneering coating installation job in company history.
- Benefited end-use customer over $4 million in direct profits.
Electronic Industry
- Team lead and principal investigator that developed targeted electrical insulation coating for leading advanced electronics manufacturer.
- Achieved targeted breakdown voltage while surpassing thickness requirements on production run electrical components.
- Designed and presented coating process and scale up manufacturing plan to end customer that surpassed throughput, cost and quality requirements.
Product Development
- Lead a team that developed and launched a new advanced coating material product.
- High E ceramic wear coating for high-tech applications.
- End-to-end project encompassing multiple areas: materials engineering, marketing and sales - pricing strategy, customer interface, support and product manufacturing.
Aerospace and Power Generation Industry
- Team lead and principal investigator that developed oxidation and corrosion resistant coatings materials and application process for aero propulsion engines.
- Achieved 2X oxidation resistance for titanium propulsion materials.
- Developed characterization method and materials models to accurately describe oxidation profile through micro hardness testing.
- Demonstrated imparting CMAS resistance for aerospace ceramic coatings.
- Pioneering research and work to understand the newly emerging area of corrosion of ceramic TBCs.
- Co-Investigator that developed new thermal barrier coating for heat engines.
- Designed ceramic oxide coating based on nanolayered structure (BNT).
- Developed precursor solution production process to create BNT powder that is applied as a coating via thermal spray.
- Created thermal spray applied BNT TBC coating using PlasmaTechnik System and ASEA 7-axis programmable robot.
- Delineated k-T behavior of as-sprayed and aged BNT TBCs.
Honors & Publications
Credentials
- McCormick School of Engineering Co-operative Education Degree
- McCormick School of Engineering Farley Foundation Co-op Student Career Award
- TWIC card holder
- Supervised Classified Work Authorizations
Publications and Patents
- Author and Co-Author of scientific papers, presentations and articles in peer reviewed journals with subject matters in the following areas:
- A New Novel TBC Material
- Pyrotechnic Magnesium Passivation Coatings
- Fire Insulation System Materials
- Glassy Microsphere Compositions
- Advanced Boiler Coatings
- Pressure Assisted Infiltration Coatings
- Antifouling Coatings for HEX Systems
- A New Glassy Silicoaluminate Material
- Nanoflow Systems for Engineering Applications
- Patent Holder (Co-inventor, 1 U.S., 1 international issued, 2 U.S. pending)
Education
- B.S. Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL