Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Ames Laboratory are collaborating with other research labs, universities, and industrial partners to develop just such a a boron-aluminum-magnesium ceramic alloy coating.

Applying a coating to the blades that would reduce friction and increase wear resistance could have a significant effect in boosting the efficiency of pumps, which are used in all kinds of industrial and commercial applications. According to Bruce Cook, an Ames Laboratory scientist and co-principal investigator on the four-year, $3 million project, government calculations show that a modest increase in pump efficiency resulting from use of these nanocoatings could reduce U.S. industrial energy usage by 31 trillion BTUs annually by 2030, or a savings of $179 million a year.

Source: Bio-Medicine.org