Lecture outline

Brief overview of Surface Treatment and Finishing

Surface Treatment and Importance of Surface Treatments and Coatings
Finishing - I Mechanical Surface Treatments
Mechanical/Thermal Surface Coatings
Prof. Nirosh Jayaweera
Thermal-sprayed Surface Coating
15th July 2022 Vapour Deposition Surface Coatings
Electroplating, Electroless Plating and
Electroforming
Overview of Industrial Cleaning

Learning Outcomes Introduction

At the end of this topic, students will be able to: Surface properties often determine the performance and
Define the term surface treatment and finishing and success of components
importance of surface treatment and coatings.
Surface treatments and coatings include variety of surface-
Explain the needs and functions of Mechanical finishing operations conducted after shaping and
machining processes for:
surface Treatment methods.
Technical and functional reasons
Aesthetic reasons
Describe Mechanical/ Thermal Surface Coating
methods. Surface treatments change the properties and/or
microstructure of top surface layers
Describe applications of Electroplating, Electroless
Plating, Electroforming and hot dipping. Surface coatings are layers of different materials
deposited on substrates to change surface properties
Identify various industrial cleaning solutions.

Importance of Surface Treatments

Failure: Why & How?
and Coatings
Improve resistance to wear, erosion, and Nearly all the fatigue and stress corrosion
indentation failures originate at the surface of the
Control friction component. (long term failures)
Reduce adhesion
Improve lubrication Due to these reasons mechanical failures mostly
occur/initiate on the surface. Hence, surface
Improve resistance to corrosion and oxidation plays a vital role in the service of a component.
Improve fatigue resistance
Rebuild damaged surfaces In most modes of long-term failure, the factor is
Modify surface texture tensile stress.

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Failure: Why & How? Mechanical Surface Treatments
Tensile stresses attempt to stretch or pull the surface Surface properties are improved/modified
apart and may eventually lead to crack initiation. using mechanical means (forces/pressure)
Because crack growth is slowed significantly in a
compressive layer, increasing the depth of this layer Modification/improvement
increases crack resistance.
Plastic deformation of top surface layers
Compressive residual stresses develop
Fatigue life increases
Prevention Idea: Generate compressive stresses on the surface. Resistance to stress corrosion improves
Chemical composition unchanged

Mechanical Surface Treatments Shot peening

Surface properties are improved/modified  Shot peening is a cold working process used to
using mechanical means (forces/pressure) produce a compressive residual stress layer and
Typical processes modify mechanical properties of metals.
Shot Peening  It involves impacting a surface with shot (round
metallic, glass, or ceramic particles - 0.125-5 mm
Laser Shot Peening
diameter spheres) with force sufficient to create
Water-jet Peening plastic deformation.

Ultrasonic Peening  It is similar to sandblasting, except that it operates

by the mechanism of plasticity rather than
Roller Burnishing abrasion. In practice, this means that less
material is removed by the process, and less dust
Explosive Hardening
created.

Shot peening Laser Peening/ laser shock peening

 Compressive residual Work-piece surface is subjected to laser shocks
stresses develop: from high-powered lasers which induce
 Average depth 0.12-0.25 mm
compressive residual stresses
(shallow)
The deep, high magnitude compressive residual
 Delay of crack initiation and stresses induced by laser peening increase the
propagation resistance of materials to surface-related
 Applications : shafts, gears, failures, such as fatigue and stress corrosion
springs, oil-well drilling cracking.
equipment and jet engine
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is the cracking
parts (turbine & compressor
induced from the combined influence of tensile
blades) stress and a corrosive environment.

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Laser Peening/ laser shock
Laser Shot Peening
peening
Laser intensities typically range from 100 to 300
J/cm2
Depths up to 1 mm
Types of materials : titanium and nickel alloys
Applications : Jet-engine fan blades
Disadvantage: high cost of high-power lasers

Water-jet Peening Water-jet Peening

The water jet peening system also requires only water
Water jet peening and cavitation peening are terms as a media and has some environmental benefits.
used to refer to generally the same process.
Disadvantages of water jet peening include the potential
This type of peening uses a jet of high pressure for erosion and cavitation damage, material loss and
water to impinge the part surface. limited residual stress profiles.

Upon contact with the surface, the water droplets

cavitate and induce stress into the part surface.
The advantage of water jet peening over shot
peening is due to the limited effect upon surface
finish.
Used on steels and Al alloys

Ultrasonic Peening
Ultrasonic Peening
Ultrasonic peening is a surface enhancement Advantages of the process include the ability to be highly
process that uses electro-mechanical methods to transportable, leading to the ability to reach harsh
generate stress waves in a material. environments.

Disadvantages include a need for physical contact with a

Stress waves are induced into the material by surface, limiting the process to open geometries and
vibrating steel pins attached to a calibrated generally flat surfaces.
frequency controller.
The use of handheld tools also poses difficulties with
Most ultrasonic peening tools are handheld repeatability and consistency. Ultrasonic treatments
roughen the surface finish considerably.
apparatuses and the technology has been
heavily used in the welding industry. In comparison to laser peening, ultrasonic peening has
been unable to reach similar compressive stress depths.

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Ultrasonic Peening Roller Burnishing (Surface Rolling)
Cold-worked by hard and highly polished roller or
rollers
Improves mechanical properties and surface finish
Performed on flat, cylindrical and conical surfaces

(a) (b)
Examples of roller burnishing of (a) a conical surface (b) a
flat surface and the burnishing tools used

Roller Burnishing (Surface Rolling) Explosive Hardening

Improve surface finish by removing scratches,
tool marks and pits hence resistance to corrosion High pressures through detonation of
explosive sheet placed on the surface
Types of materials : all types of metals
Contact pressures 10-50 GPa for 2-3 ms
Applications: seals, valves, spindles, fillets on
shafts Increases in surface hardness but little
change in shape
Deformation depth 20-100 mm
Applications:
Railroad crossings
Roller burnishing fillet of a stepped shaft to induce compressive Mining and excavation equipment
surface residual stresses for improved fatigue life

Mechanical/Thermal Surface
Explosive Hardening Coatings
Change to both mechanical and chemical
properties of surface

Modification/Improvement
Chemical composition changes
Corrosion resistance improves
Compressive residual stresses often develop
Fatigue life increased
Wear resistance improves

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Mechanical/Thermal Surface
Coatings Mechanical Plating
Change to both mechanical and chemical  Mechanical plating, also known as peen plating,
properties of surface mechanical deposition, or impact plating, is a plating
process that imparts the coating by cold welding fine
Typical processes metal particles (Zn, Sn, Cd, Pb) that are compacted
Mechanical plating over surface by rotary means (tumbling) to surface

Cladding  Thickness usually 5- 75 mm to a workpiece.

Laser cladding  Mechanical galvanization is the same process, but
applies to coatings that are thicker than 0.001 in
Case Hardening
(0.025 mm).
Hard Facing
 Used for hardened-steel parts (e.g. fasteners,
Spark hardening automobiles parts) for corrosion protection

Mechanical Plating Cladding (Clad Bonding)

Cladding is the bonding together of dissimilar
metals. It is different from fusion welding or gluing
as a method to fasten the metals together.
Cladding is often achieved by extruding two
metals through a die as well as pressing or rolling
sheets together under high pressure.
Cladding is the application of one material over
another to provide skin or layer intended to control
the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic
purposes.

Cladding (Clad Bonding) Laser cladding

 Laser cladding is a method of depositing material by which a
Example : Alclad (Al-Alloy clad with Al), Steel clad powdered or wire feedstock material is melted and
consolidated by use of a laser in order to coat part of a
with Stainless steel or nickel alloys
substrate or fabricate a near-net shape part (additive
manufacturing technology) .

 It is often used to improve

mechanical properties or
increase corrosion
resistance, repair worn
out parts, and fabricate
metal matrix composites.

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 Case Hardening Case Hardening
Case hardening or surface hardening is the process Low carbon steels cannot be hardened by
of hardening the surface of a metal object while heating due to the small amounts of carbon
allowing the metal deeper underneath to remain soft, present.
thus forming a thin layer of harder metal (called the
"case") at the surface. Case hardening seeks to give a hard outer skin
over a softer core on the metal.
Case Hardening methods
Carburising The addition of carbon to the outer skin is known
Carbonitriding as Carburizing.
Cyaniding Formation of martensite during case hardening
Flame hardening
causes compressive residual stresses on surface
Induction hardening
Laser hardening
Fatigue life improved
Wear resistance improved

Hard Facing (Hardfacing) Hard Facing

 Thick layers (0.75-2.5 mm) of hard metal (weld
overlays) are deposited on the surface by fusion
welding
 Consumable electrodes in arc welding, filler rods
in oxyacetylene and TiG welding
 Metallurgical (fusion) bonding provided
 Enhances wear and corrosion resistance
New components
Repair of worn parts
 Applications: tools, dies, mining, earthmoving
and agricultural equipment

Spark Hardening Spark Hardening

Also called electric spark hardening or
Spark hardening is a process by which a wear- electrospark deposition
resistant material is deposited on the surface of
steel components and cutting tools by the action of Hard coatings of tungsten, chromium or
electric sparks. molybdenum carbides deposited by electric
. sparks
Hard-facing alloys used as consumable electrodes,
rods or powder
Layer typically 250 mm thick (thinner than weld
overlays)

Applications: valve seats, oil-well drilling tools and

dies for hot metalworking

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Thermal-sprayed Surface Coatings Thermal-sprayed Surface Coatings
Thermal spraying Hard and wear resistant
Corrosion and oxidation resistant
A group of coating processes in which finely
High porosity for some processes
divided metallic or non-metallic materials are
deposited in a molten or semi-molten condition. Mechanical bonding and local fusion
Typical processes
The coating material may be in the form of Combustion Spraying
powder, ceramic-rod, wire, or molten materials. Electrical Spraying
• Arc Spraying
Thick coatings (0.05 -2.5 mm) applied by spray
gun • Plasma Spraying

Combustion (Flame) Spraying Electrical Spraying

Arc spraying

Plasma spraying

Schematic illustrations of thermal spray operations (a) thermal

wire spray, (b)thermal metal-powder spray, (c) plasma spray

Vapour Deposition Surface Vapour Deposition Surface

Coatings Coatings
Thin coatings (thin films), from nanometers to Basic types of PVD
microns Vacuum deposition (evaporation)
Metals, alloys and ceramics (compounds) can Sputtering
be deposited Ion plating
Typical applications: medical, electronics,
cutting tools, dies Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD)
High temperature process
Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD)
Coating from reactions or decomposition in
High to low vacuum or plasma
Temperature 100-500°C gaseous state; interaction with substrate
Coating particles in vapour form condense onto Coatings usually thicker than PVD
substrate Process cycle long

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Any Questions?