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Mussel-inspired composite coating extends service life of aircraft bearings
A research team has developed a novel composite coating that protects aircraft bearings against both corrosion and wear. Inspired by mussel adhesion, it combines nanoparticles with organic components to improve durability in harsh marine conditions.
Aircraft engine bearings face dual challenges in marine environments: salt spray erosion and lubricant contamination cause both corrosion and wear. To address this, researchers designed a mussel-inspired coating applied via in-situ polymerisation, combining polydopamine, nano-SiO₂ and stearic acid.
The results showed a substantial improvement in corrosion resistance, with current density in seawater decreasing from 3.87 × 10⁻⁵ A/cm² to 2.13 × 10⁻⁷ A/cm².
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The biomimetic microstructure increased the surface contact angle from 76.84° to 145.1°, demonstrating strong hydrophobicity. Under high stress of 17.55 GPa, the coating displayed plastic deformation and maintained a stable friction coefficient between 0.11 and 0.12.
First-principles calculations further revealed that polydopamine as an intermediate layer raised the minimum interfacial energy from 14.11 kJ/mol to 23.96 kJ/mol. These findings suggest that the composite coating could extend the service life of moving parts such as aircraft bearings operating in seawater-contaminated environments.
Source: Wang, J. et al., Exploration of aviation bearings protection: Highly corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant biomimetic composite coatings inspired by mussels. Prog. Org. Coat. 203, 109183 (2025).
