SURFACE ENGINEERING

Surface

engineering is a multi disciplanary

activity intended to tailor the properties of
the surfaces of the engineering components
so that their function and their serviceability
can be improved.
It is wide range of technologies designed to
modify the surface properties as per the
application in which we use it.

The desired properties of the

surfaced engineered components
include:
Improve corrosion resistance through barrier
and sacrificial protection
Improve oxidation and sulfidation resistance
Improve wear resistance
Reduce frictional energy losses
Improve mechanical properties like
toughness , fatigue
Improve electrical and electronic properties
Improve thermal insulation
Improve aesthetic appearance

SURFACE TEXTURE AND

PROPERTIES
Surface

texture is the
combination of surface waviness ,
surface roughness and the lay of
the surface during the
development of the surface
The properties of the surface
include absorption , adsorption ,
friction.

 Surface phenomena are responsible for the degradation of the surfaces.

Absorption is mostly responsible for the chemical and electrochemical reactions
which are causing the degradation of the surfaces.
Permanent adsorption also has a role to play in the degradation of the surfaces and
also deals with the exothermic reactions.
Friction is the surface phenomenon observed when there is a relative motion
between the surfaces . The degradation of the surfaces in this case is not due to the
chemical reactions but due to the high localised temperatures produced resulting in
wear and welding.

SURFACE INTEGRITY
Surface

integrityis the surface condition of a work piece

after being modified by amanufacturingprocess. The term
was coined by Michael Fieldand John F. Kahlesin 1964.
There are two aspects to surface integrity:topography
characteristicsandsurface layer characteristics.
The topography is made up ofsurface
roughness,waviness, errors of form, and flaws.
The surface layer characteristics that can change through
processing are:plastic deformation,residual stresses,
cracks,hardness, over aging,phase changes ,
recrystallization , intergranular attack.
When a traditional manufacturing process is used, such
asmachining, the surface layer sustains local plastic
deformation

Surface cleaning
techniques
Industrial

cleaning processes ,
Diffusion and ion implantation ,
Plating ,
Vapour deposition process ,
Organic coatings ,
Enamel and ceramic coatings ,
Thermal and mechanical coating
processes

Factors to be considered in
selecting a cleaning method
Contaminant to be removed
Degree of cleanliness required
Substrate material to be cleaned
Purpose of cleaning
Environmental and safety factors
Size and geometry of the part
Production and cost requirements
Cleaning methods and associated

chemicals should be selected to avoid

pollution and health hazards

These Surface cleaning techniques can

be grouped into three categories:
Surface

modification without changing the

material chemically.

Surface

modification by changing surface

chemically.

Surface

modification by adding a new

material onto the surface.

Surface modification without

changing the material
chemically
It includes:
Mechanical
Thermal

Processes and ,

processes

MECHANICAL PROCESSES
The

mechanical surface treatment is based on

the elastic-plastic cold-working of the surface .
The surface layers are work hardened and
residual compressive are generated.
The surface resistance against fatigue crack
initiation and propagation , corrosion fatigue
and friction fatigue increases significantly and
therefore increases the structural performance
under cyclic loading .
Some of the mechanical processes include :
BLAST FINISHING
SHOT PEENIING
TUMBLING

WIRE BRUSHING
It

is also a mechanical process of

surface cleaning in which the
surface is cleaned by the use of
wire brush
This type of cleaning is used after
welding for the removal of the
chips present on the weld.

BLAST FINISHING
High velocity impact of particulate media to
clean and finish a surface
Media is propelled at the target surface by
pressurized air or centrifugal force
Most wellknown method is sand blasting,
which uses grits of sand as blasting media
Other blasting media:
Hard abrasives such as Al2O3 and SiC
Soft media such as nylon beads

SHOT PEENING
High velocity stream of small cast steel
pellets (called shot) is directed at a metallic
surface to cold work and induce compressive
stresses into surface layers
Used

primarily to improve fatigue strength of

metal parts
Purpose is therefore different from blast
finishing, although surface cleaning is
accomplished as a byproduct of the
operation

TUMBLING
Use of a horizontally oriented barrel of
hexagonal or octagonal cross section in
which parts are mixed by rotating the
barrel at speeds of 10 to 50 rev/min
Finishing

by "landslide" action - media and

parts rise in the barrel as it rotates, then
top layer tumbles down due to gravity

Drawbacks:

slow, noisy, and large floorspace required

Diagram of tumbling (barrel finishing)

operation showing "landslide" action
of parts and abrasive media

WEAR AND ITS

MEASUREMENT

Weariserosionor sideways displacement of material

from its "derivative" and original position on
asolidsurfaceperformed by the action of another
surface.

Wear

is determined by the following three

properties:

1) Creep(sometimes

calledcold flow) is the tendency of

asolidmaterial to move slowly or deform permanently
under the influence of mechanicalstresses

2) Fatigue

is weakening of material caused by repeatedly

applied loads such as cyclic loads

3) Fracture

toughness is a property which describes the

ability of a material containing crack to resist fracture

METHODS TO REDUCE
FATIGUE WEAR

Surface

roughness can cause microscopic stress

concentrations that lower the fatigue strength.
Compressive residual stresses can be introduced in the
surface by e.g.shot peeningto increase fatigue life. Such
techniques for producing surface stress are often referred
to aspeening, whatever the mechanism used to produce
the stress.Low plasticity burnishing,laser peening,
andultrasonic impact treatmentcan also produce this
surface compressive stress and can increase the fatigue
life of the component. This improvement is normally
observed only for high-cycle fatigue

Welding,

cutting, casting, grinding, and other

manufacturing processes involving heat or deformation
can produce high levels of tensileresidual stress, which
increases the fatigue wear to avoid it heat treatment can
be done.

LUBRICATION
A

lubricant is a substance introduced to

reduce friction between surfaces in mutual
contact, which ultimately reduces the heat
generated when the surfaces move. It may
also have the function of transmitting forces,
transporting foreign particles, or heating or
cooling the surfaces. The property of
reducing friction is known as lubricity.

Typically

lubricants contain 90% base oil

(most often petroleum fractions, called
mineral oils) and less than 10% additives

Properties:
A good lubricant generally possesses
the following characteristics:
high boiling point and low freezing
point (in order to stay liquid within a
wide range of temperature)
high viscosity index
thermal stability
hydraulic stability
demulsibility
corrosion prevention
high resistance to oxidation.

PRINCIPLES OF
CORROSION
Every

year all over the world

several million tons of metal is
being corroded so there is a
serious loss of the materials and
the cost involved in it.
Corrosion is the destructive result
of the chemical or electrochemical
reaction between a metal or a
metal alloy and its environment.

 Corrosion is mainly due to the oxidation reactions in

order to attain a stable state
In case of ferrous materials , rusting is caused by
corrosion , which can be prevented by excluding air and
water from the iron surface, e.g., by painting, oiling, or
greasing, or by plating the iron with a protective coating of
another metal.
Many alloys of iron are resistant to corrosion. Stainless
steels are alloys of iron with such metals as chromium and
nickel; they do not corrode because the added metals help
form a hard, adherent oxide coating that resists further
attack

 Recognizing the symptoms and mechanism of a

corrosion problem is an important preliminary step on the
road to finding a convenient solution.
Some of the basic methods of corrosion control are :
Change to a more suitable material
Modifications to the environment with the use of
inhibitors
Use of protective metallic or organic coatings

EXAMPLE OF FORMATION OF RUST ON THE

SURFACE OF THE GEAR