The coatings based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly developed for their applications, among others, in medicine, in particular for implants in implantology, cardiology, and neurology. The present review paper aims at a detailed demonstration of different preparation methods for such coatings, their performance, and relationships between deposition parameters and microstructure and material, mechanical, physical, chemical, and biological properties. The thermal and electrostatic spraying, electrophoretic and electrocathodic deposition, and laser methods are presented. Characterization of microstructure of coatings, topography, morphology, adhesion of CNTs to a substrate, mechanical behavior, corrosion resistance, wettability, cytotoxicity, bioactivity, and antibacterial protection are reviewed for different deposition methods and parameters. The state-of-the-art in the field of carbon nanotubes shows a considerable number of research performed on CNTs coatings. The different forms of CNTs, deposition methods, parameters, and substrates were applied as process variables. The microstructures and surface homogeneity, chemical and phase compositions, mechanical properties at the micro- and nanoscale such as coating Young`s modulus and hardness, interface adhesion strength and delaminating force, open corrosion potential and corrosion current density, contact angle in wettability assessment, and bioactivity, cytotoxicity, and antibacterial efficiency among biological properties were determined. The summary of so far achievements, strengths and weaknesses, and important future research necessary for clarification of some weak points, development of non-toxic, mechanically and chemically resistant, bioactive, and antibacterial multicomponent coatings based on functionalized CNTs are proposed.

This study systematically investigated the efficacy of incorporating graphene/cerium hydroxide (GH) composite material into epoxy-modified polyurethane resin coatings for enhancing the corrosion resistance of Q690qE steel within polluted marine atmospheric conditions. The research encompassed a range of electrochemical assessments and analyses. Notably, the E/GH-0.3% coating displayed a substantially positive open-circuit potential (OCP) and prominently reduced corrosion current density, leading to annual corrosion rates of 2.72 mm/a following 25 days of immersion. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) elucidated the superiority of the E/GH-0.3% coating, characterized by the highest impedance modulus |Z| at 0.1 Hz, indicative of robust corrosion protection. Remarkably, the self-healing performance of E/GH-0.3% and E/ GH-0.5% coatings was evidenced by the formation of a composite passivation layer at scratch sites, particularly pronounced after 40 days of immersion. These findings underscore the promising potential of the GH composite as an effective corrosion inhibitor, holding significant promise for the advancement of protective coatings in harsh coastal industrial environments.

A variety of composite powders having different aluminum and carbon contents are prepared using various organic solvents having different amounts of carbon atoms in unit volume as ball milling agents for titanium and aluminum ball milling. The effects of substrate temperature and post-heat treatment on the texture and hardness of the coating are investigated by spraying with this reduced pressure plasma spray. The aluminum part of the composite powder evaporates during spraying, so that the film aluminum content is 30.9 mass%~37.4 mass% and the carbon content is 0.64 mass%~1.69 mass%. The main constituent phase of the coating formed on the water-cooled substrate is a non-planar α2 phase, obtained by supersaturated carbon regardless of the alloy composition. When these films are heat-treated at 1123 K, the main constituent phase becomes  phase, and fine Ti2AlC precipitates to increase the film hardness. However, when heat treatment is performed at a higher temperature, the hardness is lowered. The main constitutional phase of the coating formed on the preheated substrate is an equilibrium gamma phase, and fine Ti2AlC precipitates. The hardness of this coating is much higher than the hardness of the coating in the sprayed state formed on the water-cooled substrate. When hot pressing is applied to the coating, the porosity decreases but hardness also decreases because Ti2AlC grows. The amount of Ti2AlC in the hot-pressed film is 4.9 vol% to 15.3 vol%, depending on the carbon content of the film.

Coatings composited with alumina and Perfluoro alkoxyalkane (PFA) resin were deposited on stainless steel plate (SUS304) to further improve corrosion resistance. Plate (ca. 10μm) and/or nanosize (27~43 nm) alumina used as inorganic additives were mixed in PFA resin to make alumina-fluoro composite coatings. These coatings were deposited on SUS304 plate with wet spray coating and then the film was cured thermally. According to the amount and ratio of the two kinds of alumina having plate morphology and nano size, corrosion resistance of the film was evaluated under strong acids (HF, HCl) and a strong base (NaOH). The film prepared with the addition of 5~10 wt% alumina powders in PFA resin showed corrosion resistance superior to that of pure PFA resin film. However, for the film prepared with alumina content above 10 wt%, the corrosion resistance did not improve with the physical properties, such as surface hardness and adhesion. The film prepared with plate/nanosize (weight ratio = 1/2) alumina especially enhanced the surface hardness and corrosion resistance. This can be explained as showing that the plate and the nanosize alumina dispersed in PFA resin effectively suppressed the penetration of cations and anions due to the long penetration length and fewer defects that accompany the improved surface hardness under a serious environment of 10% HF solution for over 120 hrs.

A high thermal conductive AlN composite coating is attractive in thermal management applications. In this study, AlN-YAG composite coatings were manufactured by atmospheric plasma spraying from two different powders: spray-dried and plasma-treated. The mixture of both AlN and YAG was first mechanically alloyed and then spray-dried to obtain an agglomerated powder. The spray-dried powder was primarily spherical in shape and composed of an agglomerate of primary particles. The decomposition of AlN was pronounced at elevated temperatures due to the porous nature of the spray-dried powder, and was completely eliminated in nitrogen environment. A highly spherical, dense AlN-YAG composite powder was synthesized by plasma alloying and spheroidization (PAS) in an inert gas environment. The AlN-YAG coatings consisted of irregular-shaped, crystalline AlN particles embedded in amorphous YAG phase, indicating solid deposition of AlN and liquid deposition of YAG. The PAS-processed powder produced a lower-porosity and higher-hardness AlN-YAG coating due to a greater degree of melting in the plasma jet, compared to that of the spray-dried powder. The amorphization of the YAG matrix was evidence of melting degree of feedstock powder in flight because a fully molten YAG droplet formed an amorphous phase during splat quenching.

Nano sized SiC particles (270 nm) are easily agglomerated in nickel sulfamate electrolytic bath during a composite electrodeposition process. The agglomeration of nano particles in composite coatings can significantly reduce the mechanical properties of the composite coatings. In this study, Ni-SiC nano composite coatings were fabricated using a conventional electrodeposition process with the aid of ultrasound. Nano particles were found to be distributed homogeneously with reduced agglomeration in the ultrasonicated samples. Substantial improvements in mechanical properties were observed in the composite coatings prepared in presence of ultrasound over those without ultrasound. Ni-SiC composite coatings were prepared with variable ultrasonic frequencies ranging from 24 kHz to 78 kHz and ultrasonic powers up to 300 watts. The ultrasonic frequency of 38 kHz with ultrasonic power of 200 watt was revealed to be the best ultrasonic conditions for homogeneous dispersion of nano SiC particles with improved mechanical properties in the composite coatings. The microstructures, phase compositions, and mechanical properties of the composite coatings were observed and evaluated using SEM, XRD, Vickers microhardness, and wear test. The Vickers microhardness of composite coatings under ultrasonic condition was significantly improved as compared to the coatings without ultrasound. The friction coefficient of the composite coating prepared with an ultrasonic condition was also smaller than the pure nickel coatings. A synergistic combination of superior wear resistance and improved microhardness was found in the Ni-SiC composite coatings prepared with ultrasonic conditions.

Metal/diamond binary composite coatings on Al substrate without grit blasting were deposited by cold spray process with insitu powder preheating. Microstructural characterization of the as-sprayed coatings with different diamond size, strength and with/without Ti coating on diamond was carried out by OM and SEM. The assessment of basic properties such as tensile bond strength and hardness of the coatings, and the deposition efficiency was also carried out. Particular attention on the composite coatings was on the diamond fracture phenomenon during the cold spray deposition and the interface bonding between the diamond and the Fe-based metal matrix.

Film properties of monodispersed model composite latexes with particle size of 190 nm, which consist of n-butyl acrylate as a soft phase monomer and methyl methacrylate as a hard phase monomer with different morphology was examined. Five different types of model latexes were used in this study such as random copolymer particle, soft-core/hard-shell particle, hard-core/soft-shell particle, gradient type particle, and mixed type particle. Tensile strength and tensile elongation at break of final films were evaluated. Those properties can be interpreted in terms of PBA/PMMA phase ratio and their morphology. The interfacial adhesion strength was also evaluated using 180˚ peel strength measurement and cross hatch cutting test.

Film forming behavior of monodispersed model composite latexes with particle size of 190 nm, which consist of n-butyl acrylate as a soft phase monomer and methyl methacrylate as a hard phase monomer with different morphology was examined. Five different types of model latexes were used in this study such as random copolymer particle, soft-core/hard-shell particle, hard-core/soft-shell particle, gradient type particle, and mixed type particle. The film forming behavior was evaluated using pseudo on-line measurements of the cumulative weight loss, the UV transmittance, and the tensile fracture energy. Each stages of film formation I, II were not sensitive to the morphology of model latexes, but stage-ill was largely dependent on the morphology of model latexes. The chain mobility of polymer which composed the shell component was found to dominantly determine the behavior of film forming stage-III.

In this study, various model composite latexes were synthesized using n-butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate as comonomers by seeded multi-staged emulsion polymerization. Monodispersed model composite latex particles with size of 190 nm and polydispersity index of 1.05, which have various morphology including random copolymer particle, soft-core/hard-shell particle, hard-core/soft shell particle, and gradient-type copolymer particle, homopolymers particles were prepared. The designed morphology of model composite particles were confirmed.