What Is Ceramic Coating?

Ceramic coatings are a special film layer used on hard materials to protect them from wear and tear. They play a big role in keeping the strength and quality of materials such as metals, plastic and many other products used in industrial and consumer applications.

Components

• Ceramic coatings are typically made up of special compounds that possess stronger properties than regular coating. Compounds in ceramic coatings include carbides, borides, nitrides, and silicides that are hard enough to keep the material from accumulating residue and becoming prone to breakage while in use. The sputtering process is used on the coating. This removes certain portions of the coating material, and deposits a thin and securely bonded film onto the surface. During the sputtering process, elements such as nitrogen and hydrocarbon are added to the ceramic coating. When added, these elements make the solution more flexible and elastic.

Types

• There are two types of ceramic coatings, single-layer and multi-layer. Single-layer coatings are usually applied on already strong materials that are not always exposed to damage, such as PVC plastic and non-metallic products. Multi-layer coatings are used on more delicate products such as fiberglass, metals and other items used for special laboratory or industrial purposes.

Properties

• Among the properties in which ceramic coatings are known for include improved strength, hardness, elasticity, and oxidation resistance. Oxidation resistance is the most important feature, as it keeps the product not only from breaking or being damaged, but also from rusting and other effects of oxidation due to exposure to various airborne agents.

Structure

• Most ceramic coatings today are developed into multi-layers and superlattices. They are developed alternately by placing two films of varying components to come up with layered structures. By means of the multi-layer and superlattice structures, each component material is allowed to function optimally and protect the product from damage or breakage. In some coatings, other elements such as vanadium, aluminum, chromium, and yttrium are used to provide a more substantial layer on the solution. These elements improve the strength and quality of the coating, especially those used in heavy-duty products.

Improvement

• At present, stronger forms of ceramic coatings have been developed, and the most popular is the nanocomposite coating. Its manufacturing process involves two phases, the nanocrystalline phase and the amorphous phase. Nanocomposite ceramic coatings provide not only the usual protection of single-layer and multi-layer coatings, but also feature thermodynamic properties. Nanocomposite ceramic coatings are mostly found in laboratory instruments, surgical steel items and other technologies that require highly specialized protection against heat, corrosion and oxidation.