Surface treatment is the name given to processes that alter the surface characteristics of manufactured products to impart protective qualities, preventing them from succumbing from thermal stress and corrosion, and to improve their durability and appearance.
What industry sectors use surface treatments?
A vast many industry sectors use surface treatments to enhance the performance of their products. For example, the electrochemical process known as hard anodising is common in the automobile, aerospace and industrial machinery sectors.
What is hard anodising?
Hard anodising, performed by companies such as poeton.co.uk/surface-treatments/anodising/hard-anodising, is an electrochemical process that sees products immersed in an acid electrolyte solution and an electric current applied.
This creates a chemical reaction that causes a thick and durable oxide layer to materialise on the product’s surface, protecting the product from corrosion and wear. Hard anodising is favoured over plating and painting because the protective layer is totally integrated with the product’s natural surface.
Which metals are best for surface treatments?
Zinc, nickel and chromium are often selected as a sacrificial layer for surface treatment, protecting the underlying metal product from corrosion and wear and imparting an aesthetically pleasing shine.
Hard anodising works best on high-purity aluminium, titanium and magnesium, in which a chemical reaction transforms the product’s own surface, rather than coating it with a new protective surface.
How to choose a surface treatment
Different processes are suited to different use cases and it is important to select the surface treatment process that will deliver the results necessary to satisfy your specific use case.
Leave a Reply