Dept of ME

MATERIAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Subject Code- BME303

MODULE-4
Surface Coating
Powder Metallurgy

Dept of ME
Course Coordinator
RAJU M G
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Acharya Institute of Technology.
 Module-4
Surface coating technologies: Introduction, coating materials, coating
technologies, types of coating: Electro-plating, Chemical Vapor
Deposition(CVD), Physical Vapor Deposition(PVD), High Velocity Oxy-Fuel
Coating, advantages and disadvantages of surface coating.
Powder metallurgy: Introduction, Powder Production Techniques: Different
Mechanical methods: Chopping or Cutting, Abrasion methods, Machining
methods, Ball Milling and Chemical method: Chemical reduction method.
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Characterization of powders (Particle Size & Shape Distribution), Powder
Shaping: Particle Packing Modifications, Lubricants & Binders, Powder
Compaction & Process, Sintering and Application of Powder Metallurgy.
 Surface Coating
 Metal surfaces, particularly those of steels, require unique surface treatments to
achieve the appropriate properties.
 Although there are several surface treatment procedures, surface coating techniques
are the most popular.

Dept of ME  Coatings can provide a wide variety of qualities, including improved surface
hardness, wear and corrosion resistance, changes in wettability, hydrophobicity etc.
 So, in-order to improve wear and corrosion resistance, surface hardness; materials
need additional surface coatings.
 Depending on the application, different surface coating techniques are being used.
 As a result, categorizing coating processes may be quite challenging.
 Surface Coating
 Surface coating is a process that applies a layer of material to a surface to give it
certain properties, such as a decorative or functional finish.
 Surface coatings can be used in many industries, including automotive, energy, and
manufacturing.
 Surface coatings can be applied as liquids, gases, or solids, and can be made from a
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variety of materials, including paints, powder coatings, polymers, metals, or ceramics.
 The type of coating used depends on the properties of the material being coated and the
desired outcome
 Coatings can offer different properties such as corrosion/wear resistance, enhanced
surface hardness, modified surface texture, thermal/electrical insulation,
enhanced wettability, hydrophobicity (a physical property of a substance that describes its
tendency to repel water and prefer a nonaqueous environment), etc.
 Surface Coating

Some benefits of surface coating include:

•Stability: Coated membranes are more stable and require less heat loss.
•pH responsiveness: Surface coating can make membranes responsive to pH.
•Eco-efficiency: Surface coating can improve the performance of glass facades and
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windows.
•Wear resistance: Surface coating can make a surface more resistant to wear and
corrosion.
•Thermal insulation: Surface coating can improve a surface's thermal insulation.
•Part lifetime: Surface coating can extend the lifetime of a part
 Types of Coating technologies

1. Electro-plating
2. Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Coating
3. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Coating
4. High-Velocity Oxy-Fuel Coating (HVOF)
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 Electro- plating
 Electrodeposition is a technique used to protect metals by depositing metallic ions on a
surface.
 Transfer of ions occur due to change in potential between cathode and anode. The immersed
specimen eventually develops a coating layer by taking in ions from another electrode over
time.
Dept of ME  Research suggests that the substrate’s corrosion characteristics are greatly improved by the
electrodeposited coatings. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that this method is effective
in creating ultra-hydrophobic polymer coatings like polythiophene.
 Electrolytic deposition and electrophoretic deposition are the two categories
of electrodeposition technique.
 The electrophoretic deposition is a technique where the colloidal particles suspended in a
liquid medium migrate under the influence of an electric field and are deposited onto an
electrode whereas electrolytic deposition is a process of coating thin layer of one metal on top
of different metal to modify its surface properties.
 Electro- plating

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 Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Coating
 PVD process is famous for offering corrosion and wear resistance and thin protective films on the
surface of the materials that are exposed to corrosive media, and its applications range from
decorative objects to industrial parts.
 The advantage of this method is that the mechanical, corrosion, and aesthetic properties of the
coating layers could be adjusted on demand.
Dept of ME  In general, PVD is a process that takes place in a high vacuum and the solid/liquid materials
transfer to a vapor phase followed by a metal vapor condensation, which creates a solid and
dense film.
 The most known types of PVD are sputtering and evaporation.
 Since the coating layers created by PVD are thin in nature, there is always a need for
multilayered coatings while the materials selection should be considered carefully.
 Apart from its decorative applications, many PVD-coated parts serve as components that undergo
a high rate of wear that causes abrasion on the surface and removes the coating layer.
 Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Coating
 This phenomenon reduces corrosion resistance properties of the parts and makes them more
susceptible to a corrosive media.
 Figure represents a schematic view of different types of electron beam PVD machines. In this
method, the coating growth is dominated by a physical evaporation process.
 The thermal energy needed for evaporation may be supplied by different supply units, such as
Dept of ME electron beam, heating wire, laser beam, molecular beam, etc.
 This thermal energy heats the atoms of the source material, which can be in the form of solid or
liquid, to its evaporation point.
 The vaporized atoms travel a distance through the vacuum and deposit onto the substrate.
 Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Coating

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Figure . Schematic view of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) machine using electron
beam as the heat source
 Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Coating

 PVD coating can be utilized in many applications such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical
instruments, optics, and firearms.
 It provides the advantage of flexibility in using any organic and inorganic material as a
deposition layer while the coating layer offers high hardness and corrosion resistance .
Dept of ME  The PVD process for polymeric materials is challenging since the deposition leads to
degradation of the polymer that reduces the molecular weight of the film.
 PVD has been used for polyethylene (PE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and conductive
conjugated polymers such as poly(2,5-thienylene) (PTh), and poly(pyridine-2-5-diyl) (PPy) .
 Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Coating
 This process undergoes a high vacuum and is widely used in the semiconductors industry
providing a solid, high quality, and a high resistance coating layer on any substrate.
 CVD can be used for mechanical parts in constant contact, which need protection against
corrosion and wear.
 In this process, the substrate, known as a wafer, would be exposed to a set of volatile material
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precursors where a chemical reaction creates a deposition layer on the surface of the material.
 Some byproducts of these chemical reactions, which are removed by constant airflow of the
vacuum pump, can remain in the chamber.
 A schematic of the CVD setup is shown in Figure .
 The vaporized CVD materials are pumped from the right side and the heaters keep the
temperature high enough to facilitate the chemical reaction between the substrate and
vaporized materials.
 Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Coating

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 Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Coating
 CVD technique provides a wide selection of materials in different compositions and forms such
as carbides, nitrides, oxynitrides, a composition of Si with O and Ge, carbon in forms of
fluorocarbons, diamond, polymers, graphene, fibers/nanofibers/nanotubes, Ti, and W.
 In addition, these materials could be provided in different microstructures such as
monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous.
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 CVD of polymers has been shown to be a reliable process in applications such as biomedical
device implants, circuit boards, and durable lubricious coatings.
 Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Coating
 CVD process performs in three different categories of atmospheric pressure CVD, low-
pressure CVD, and ultra-high vacuum CVD, and the last two methods are the most
common ones.
 There are many other classifications related to the CVD process based on substrate heating,
material properties, and types of plasma utilized in vaporizing the materials.
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 These second-hand categories often include aerosol-assisted CVD, direct liquid injection
CVD, plasma-enhanced CVD, microwave-plasma-assisted CVD, hybrid physical-
chemical CVD, and photo-assisted CVD.
 Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Coating

 There are arguments on the advantages and disadvantages of CVD over PVD based on the
applications.
 In the CVD process, the substrate is heated up to 900 °C, which cannot be used for
temperature-sensitive materials.

Dept of ME  PVD provides a solution for materials of this kind.

 On the other hand, CVD has the advantage of less waste of materials since only the heated
area can be coated.
 In order to enhance this capability, computer-controlled lasers could be utilized to
selectively heat the preferred areas
 High-Velocity Oxy-Fuel Coating (HVOF)
 Figure represents an HVOF coating process in a schematic format.
 A mix of fuel, such as acetylene, propane, methane, hydrogen, or natural gas, and oxygen
in gas or liquid phase undergo continuous combustion in a designed combustion chamber to
provide a high-pressure steam of hot gas.
 The combustion chamber releases the combustion products into a nozzle to create a spray
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with a speed of more than 1000 m/s .
 After combustion, coating materials in powder form are injected inside this hot jet stream
to get partially melted accelerated while they are leaving the nozzle tip.
 The hot jet pushes the semisolid particles against the substrate and creates a coating layer
with varying thicknesses up to several millimeters.
 High-Velocity Oxy-Fuel Coating (HVOF)

 The advantage of this process is that the coating layer has a high density and adheres to
the substrate well, while it is able to utilize coating materials such as hydroxyapatite (HA), Cr,
Al, Zr, and their oxides/carbides or polymeric materials such as nylon11/silica
nanocomposites to deposit corrosion- and wear-resistant layers .
Dept of ME  The coating layer could be performed on non-conductive materials such as polymers and
ceramics that are able to undergo high velocity and temperature of the jet stream and the
particle.
 High-Velocity Oxy-Fuel Coating (HVOF)

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Schematic setup of a high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) coating system

 Advantages of Surface Coating
Surface coating can have many advantages, including:

•Protection: Surface coatings can protect against environmental factors like UV

radiation, moisture, chemicals, and abrasion.
•Appearance: Surface coatings can enhance the appearance of a material.
•Durability: Surface coatings can increase the durability of a material.
Dept of ME •Corrosion resistance: Surface coatings can improve a material's corrosion
resistance.
•Friction: Surface coatings can reduce friction.
•Electrical conductivity: Surface coatings can improve a material's electrical
conductivity.

•Biocompatibility: Surface coatings can enhance a material's biocompatibility.

 Advantages of Surface Coating
•Mechanical and chemical stability
•Surface coatings can have poor mechanical and chemical stability.

•Flux flow
•Surface coatings can cause a decline in flux flow due to pore constriction.

Dept of ME •Pump performance

•Surface coatings can inhibit pump performance by causing obstacles or closing off
passes and ports.

•Cost
•In high velocity services, coatings will be quickly removed and will be less cost-effective
in the long run because of constant reapplications.

•Antimicrobial coatings

•The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found no evidence
that antimicrobial coatings offer any enhanced protection from the spread of bacteria
and germs.
Dept of ME
Powder Metallurgy
 Powder Metallurgy
 A science of producing metal powders and making finished/semifinished objects
from mixed or alloyed powders with or without the addition of nonmetallic
constituents.
 The powder metallurgy process consists of mixing elemental or alloy powder,
compacting the mixture in a die and then sintering or heating the resultant shape in a
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controlled atmosphere.
 Powder metallurgy is a highly developed method of manufacturing ferrous and
nonferrous materials.
 This process is cost effective in producing simple or complex part in
manufacturing (Production) rates which can range from a few hundreds to several
thousands parts per hour.
 Due to high cost of die and equipment this process is suitable for mass production
only.
 Powder Metallurgy
 PM parts can be mass produced to net shape or near net shape, eliminating or
reducing the need for subsequent machining
 PM process wastes very little material - ~ 97% of starting powders are converted to
product
 PM parts can be made with a specified level of porosity, to produce porous metal parts
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- Filters, oil-impregnated bearings and gears
 Certain metals that are difficult to fabricate by other methods can be shaped by
powder metallurgy
 Certain alloy combinations and cermets made by PM cannot be produced in other
ways
 PM compares favorably to most casting processes in dimensional control
 PM production methods can be automated for economical production
 Powder Metallurgy

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 Powder Metallurgy

The basic steps involved in the production process are given below.
 Preparation of powder or powders of desired composition.
 Mixing and blending – Powder are mixed thoroughly and blended to ensure
desired property.
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 Compacting the powders into desired shape and size and providing strength to
the parts (green compact)
 Sintering – Green compacts are heated at elevated temperature to impart strength.
 Powder Metallurgy

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 Powder Metallurgy
Steps in Powder Metallurgy: Powder production, Compaction, Sintering, &
Secondary operations

Powder production: Raw materials => Powder; Powders can be pure elements, pre-alloyed powders

Methods for making powders –

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Atomization: Produces powders of both ferrous and non-ferrous powders like stainless steel,
superalloys, Ti alloy powders;

Reduction of compounds:- Productionof iron, Cu, tungsten, molybdenum;

Electrolysis: For making Cu, iron, silver powders
Powders along with additives are mixed using mixers
Lubricants are added prior to mixing to facilitate easy ejection of compact and to minimize wear of
tools; Waxes, metallic stearates, graphite etc.

Powder characterization – size, flow, density, compressibility tests

 Powder Metallurgy
Compaction: compaction is performed using dies machined to close tolerances
Dies are made of cemented carbide, die/tool steel; pressed using hydraulic or
mechanical presses
The basic purpose of compaction is to obtain a green compact with sufficient
strength
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to withstand further handling operations
The green compact is then taken for sintering
Hot extrusion, hot pressing, hot isostatic pressing =>
consolidation at high temperatures
 Powder Metallurgy
Sintering:
Performed at controlled atmosphere to bond atoms metallurgically.
It serves to consolidate the mechanically bonded powders into a coherent body having
desired on service behavior
Dept of ME Densification occurs during the process and improvement in physical and mechanical
properties are seen
Furnaces – mesh belt furnaces (up to 1200C), walking beam, pusher type furnace,
batch type furnaces are also used.
 Advantages of Powder Metallurgy
 Parts with closed dimensional tolerance (nearest shape) and good surface finish
can be produced.
 It eliminate or minimizes scrap losses by more than 97% of the raw material in the
finished part, unlike other process.

Dept of ME  Process can be fully automated hence unskilled labour can be employed which
reduces labour cost.
 It eliminate or minimizes machining.
 It facilitates manufacture of certain parts by mixing different metals, metals and non
metals, metals and ceramics etc to obtain desired properties which is impossible with
other working processes.
 Advantages of Powder Metallurgy

 High production rates from 500-1000 parts/hour can be achieved.

 It facilitates manufactures of small and unique shape part which cannot be produce
by any other manufacturing process.
 Detect free component with uniform structure can be produce.
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 Limitations of Powder Metallurgy
 The cost of material in powder form is quite high this cost is offset for Large
volume production by absence of scrap and low labour cost.
 Products with intricate design are difficult to produce as there is little flow of metal
powder during compaction.
 The residual porosity left in sintered parts makes then rough.
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 This process is economically feasible for Large volume production due to high cost of
dies and equipments.
 Producing parts of Large size and weight is quite expensive due to costly dies.
 It is difficult to compress some metal powders and also difficult to procure some
metal powders.
 The density of compact is not uniform throughout.
• Parts produce by powder metallurgy have low impact and fatigue strength as compared
to other method.
 Applications of Powder Metallurgy
The application of powder metallurgy components fall in two main groups
First are component that are difficult to manufacture by other method such as those made from
tungsten, Molybdenum and tungsten carbide
The second group consists of components that offer a cost effective alternatives to machined
components, casting and forging
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Some applications are as follows-
• Used to produce porous parts e.g filters.
• Some components of tungsten employed in jet engines are made by powder metallurgy.
• Auto mobile components such as clutch plates, connecting rods, cam shafts and piston
rings etc.
• Many types of hard and soft magnetic components.
• Grinding wheels are manufactured by using steel and diamond powder.
• Nozzle for rockets and missiles are made using silver infiltrated tungsten.
• It is used to produce complex shaped parts which require machining when produced by
other methods e.g. gears.
• Electrical bushes for motors are made by combining metallic and non metallic material.
• Some parts used in clocks, type writers, calculators, permanent magnet etc. are made by
powder metallurgy
 Production of Powders
 Metal powders - Main constituent of a P/M product; final properties of the finished
P/M part depends on size, shape, and surface area of powder particles
 Single powder production method is not sufficient for all applications

Powder production methods:

1. Mechanical methods,
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3. Chemical methods
1. Mechanical methods – It is the cheapest of the powder production methods; These
methods involve using mechanical forces such as compressive forces, shear or
impact to facilitate particle size reduction of bulk materials; Eg.: Milling
Milling: During milling, impact, attrition, shear and compression forces are acted
upon particles. During impact, striking of one powder particle against another
occurs.
Attrition refers to the production of wear debris due to the rubbing action between
two particles. Shear refers to cutting of particles resulting in fracture. The
particles are broken into fine particles by squeezing action in compression force type.
 Production of Powders
Main objective of milling:
Particle size reduction (main purpose), Particle size growth, shape change, agglomeration
(joining of particles together), solid state alloying.
Mechanism of milling:
Changes in the morphology of powder particles during milling results in the
following events.
Dept of ME 1. Microforging,
2. Fracture,
3. Agglomeration,

Microforging
Individual particles or group of particles are impacted repeatedly so that they
flatten with very less change in mass
Fracture
Individual particles deform and cracks initiate and propagate resulting in fracture
Agglomeration
Mechanical interlocking due to atomic bonding or vande Waals forces
 Production of Powders
The different powder characteristics influenced by milling are shape, size, texture,
particle size distribution, crystalline size, chemical composition, hardness,
density, flowability, compressibility, sinterability, sintered density

Milling equipment:
The equipments are generally classified as crushers & mills
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Crushing
For making ceramic materials such as oxides of metals;
Grinding
For reactive metals such as titanium, zirconium, niobium, tantalum
 Production of Powders

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 Production of Powders
Ball mills
 This contains cylindrical vessel rotating horizontally along the axis. Length of the cylinder
is more or less equal to diameter.
 The vessel is charged with the grinding media. The grinding media may be made of
hardened steel, or tungsten carbide, ceramics like agate, porcelain, alumina, zirconia.
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 During rolling of vessel, the grinding media & powder particles roll from some height. This
process grinds the powder materials by impact/collision & attrition.
 Milling can be dry milling or wet milling. In dry milling, about 25 vol% of powder is added
along with about 1 wt% of a lubricant such as stearic or oleic acid.
 For wet milling, 30-40 vol% of powder with 1 wt% of dispersing agent such as water,
alcohol or hexane is employed.
 Optimum diameter of the mill for grinding powders is about 250 mm
 Production of Powders

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Ball mills
 Production of Powders
Vibratory ball mill
 Finer powder particles need longer periods for grinding. In this case, vibratory ball mill
is better.
 Here high amount of energy is imparted to the particles and milling is accelerated by
vibrating the container.
Dept of ME  This mill contains an electric motor connected to the shaft of the drum by an elastic
coupling.
 The drum is usually lined with wear resistant material. During operation, 80% of the
container is filled with grinding bodies and the starting material. Here vibratory motion
is obtained by an eccentric shaft that is mounted on a frame inside the mill. The
rotation of eccentric shaft causes the drum of the vibrating mill to oscillate.
 In general, vibration frequency is equal to 1500 to 3000 oscillations/min. The
amplitude of oscillations is 2 to 3 mm.
 The grinding bodies is made of steel or carbide balls, that are 10-20 mm in diameter.
The mass of the balls is 8-10 times the charged particles. Final particle size is of the
 Production of Powders

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Vibratory ball mill

 Powder Production Techniques
Atomization

 In this process molten metal is broken up

into small droplets by spraying it on the
streme of inert gas or air jets.
 Rapidly frozen before the drops come
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into contact with each other or with the
solid surface this technique is applicable
to all metals that can be melted and is
used commercially for the production of
iron, copper, brass, bronze, lead, zinc
etc.
 Powder Production Techniques
Atomization

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 Powder Production Techniques
Crushing and Milling
In powder metallurgy, crushing and milling
are processes that break down brittle metals into fine
powder using equipment like jaw crushers and ball
mills:

Dept of ME •Crushing

•Metal particles are crushed in a crushing machine

to create the final powder.

•Milling

•A mill or grinder uses mechanical action to break

down the material and reduce it to the required
size. Ball mills use grinding media like steel balls to
impact and fracture metal particles.
 Characteristics of Powders

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 Characteristics of Metal Powders
Some characteristics on which behaviour of metal powder depends are described below-
1. Particle shape & size distribution
The shape of particles depends mainly on the method of production of powders,
spheroidal shaped particles have excellent sintering property and irregular shaped
particles are good for moulding. Mostly 100μ size powders are used.
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2. Density
True density is mass per unit volume of the solid material apparent density is defined as
the mass of loose powder per unit actual volume filled by the powder it depends on
particle shape, size distribution powders with high apparent density require shorter
compressive strike to produce a compact of given density and size.
3. Flow Rate
It is defined as the time required for a measured quantity of powder to flow out of a
standard orifice flow rate should be high to obtain high production rate.
 Characteristics of Metal Powders
4. Compressibility and Compression Ratio
Both depends upon shape size and size distribution of particles compressibility is defined as the
ratio of initial volume of the powder (Un pressed volume) to final volume green strength to powder
also known as mechanical strength of compressed part.

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 Powder Production Techniques

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 Processing of Powders
Processing of powder has been classified in two groups-
(A) PRIMARY PROCESS
1. Mixing and Blending of Powder

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 Processing of Powders

 Mixing means the intermixing of powders of two or more materials.

 Intermixing of a powder and binder or intermixing of a powder and lubricants.
 The mixing and blending of metal powder is done under controlled condition to avoid
contamination and deterioration. It fulfil following purposes.
• It produces a uniform distribution of particle shape and size.
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• It allows different metal to be mixed to obtain specific physical property.
• It improves metal powder interaction by addition of lubricants (e.g stearic acid, Zinc stearate
in proportion of 0.25 to 0.5% by weight) to the powder improves the flow characteristics of the
powder. Such blends result in reduced friction between the metal particles, improved flow of
powder metal into dies and longer die life.
• Co-combine metallic and non metallic powder.
 Processing of Powders
Compacting

 The mixed powders are compacted in die to form the size and shape of the desired part, parts
fo produced are known as green compact.
 The density after compaction is called green density. Depends upon the compaction pressure,

Dept of ME dimensions of the compacted parts and powder hardness.

 The compacting is carried out at room temp. in dies.
 The die cavity is filled with required amount of mixed powder for uniform distribution of
pressure two punches are generally used one from top and other from bottom side of powder.
 The green compact expand slightly when taken out of die to elastic recovery this expansion
depends of the pressure and extend of plastic deformation in powder particles.
 Processing of Powders
Compacting

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 Processing of Powders

Pre-Sintering (Not done when machining is not required)

It is defined as a process in which green compact is heated to temperature below final sintering
temperature to increase the strength. It also removes the lubricant and binders added during
blending. After this the final sintering operation is performed.
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 Processing of Powders

Sintering

 Sintering is the process of heating the material to a temp. below the melting temp but high
Dept of ME enough to allow bonding or fusion of individual particles under protective atmosphere prevent
oxidation. Continuous sintering furnace are used which have 3 chambers-
 A chamber to volatize (easily becoming goes or dangerous) the lubricants in the green compact
in order to improve bond strength and prevent cracking it. It is called brunt off chamber. It
slowly raises the temp. in a controlled manner.
 A high temperature chamber for sintering for bonding b/w the powder particles the time during
the second stage must be sufficient to produce the desired density and final properties.
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