Surface treatment
What is surface treatment?
Surface treatment is the process of processing or treating the surface of a material to improve its performance, function or appearance. These treatments can include physical, chemical or mechanical methods, designed to enhance the material’s corrosion resistance, wear resistance, hardness, finish or other characteristics. Surface treatment is widely used on materials such as metals, plastics, glass, ceramics, etc. to meet specific engineering needs or aesthetic requirements.
There are two basic types of surface treatment
1. Metal finishing that adds a layer of material to the surface of a part to enhance its performance or appearance, including painting, powder coating, anodizing and electroplating.
2. Metal finishing that removes from the surface of a part: Removing surface material to improve its finish or performance, including grinding, polishing and abrasion
Why do we need surface treatment?
Surface treatment is a method of changing the surface properties of materials by chemical, mechanical, physical or electrochemical methods. Its main purpose is:
1. Anti-corrosion: Prevent material corrosion by galvanizing, painting, electroplating and other methods.
2. Improve wear resistance: Improve material hardness and wear resistance by quenching, carbonitriding, etc.
3. Improve appearance: Improve product aesthetics by polishing, electroplating, and spraying.
4. Enhance adhesion: Increase the adhesion of coatings or adhesives by sandblasting, chemical treatment, etc.
5. Improve electrical properties: Improve electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity by gold plating, silver plating, etc.
6. Improve surface cleanliness: Remove surface contaminants by pickling and ultrasonic cleaning.
7. Reduce weight: Reduce material weight while maintaining performance by anodizing.
8. Special functions: Give materials specific functions such as hydrophobicity, self-cleaning, and antibacterial properties.
Twelve common surface treatment methods
Brushed
Use a brush or abrasive belt to create regular lines or textures on the surface of a material to improve its appearance and hide imperfections.
Sandblasting
The paint is sprayed onto the surface of the object in the form of fine particles to form a uniform coating.
Passivation
Improve the corrosion resistance of metals by forming a protective oxide film or other passivation film on the metal surface.
polishing
Remove tiny unevenness on the surface of the material through physical and chemical methods to make it smooth and shiny.
Spraying
The paint is sprayed onto the surface of the object in the form of fine particles to form a uniform coating.
Heat Treatment
The internal structure and surface properties of the material are changed through heating and cooling processes.
Laser Surface Treatment
High-energy laser beams treat the surface of materials, changing their properties.
Chemical Plating
Depositing metal coatings on the surface of materials using chemical reactions.
Electroplating
Depositing a thin metal layer on the substrate through an electrolytic process.
Black Oxide
A black iron oxide film is formed on the metal surface through chemical reaction.
Anodizing
Generate oxide film on the surface of aluminum and its alloys through electrochemical reaction.
