Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.7
3.4
Journals
Coatings
Special Issues
Surface Modification for Improving the Performance of Engineering Components
share announcement

Surface Modification for Improving the Performance of Engineering Components

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Tribology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2024) | Viewed by 10684

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mattia Merlin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 1/E, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: mechanical properties; surface modification; microstructural characterization, heat treatments; tribology; aluminium alloys
Dr. Annalisa Fortini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 1/E, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: metallography; surface modification; heat treatments; tribology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mechanical/structural components’ degradation phenomena are responsible for the increasing cost of maintenance and downtime in industrial applications. Hence, to ensure the performance of machines and devices and to increase the efficiency and reliability of products and processes, various surface modification methods have been proposed so far. Surface engineering modification is a challenging task to improve the resistance of metals to oxidation, thermal degradation, wear, corrosion, static, and fatigue mechanisms.

Surface modification strategies to improve different properties of engineering components may consist of thermal, thermochemical, chemical, or galvanic treatments and may include material addition to the substrate as in thermal spray and PVD or CVD processes. Therefore, the proper material and surface modification method is to be thoroughly evaluated according to the substrate material of the component, the predicted loading, and environmental conditions.

Topics to this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the full range of surface modification methods adopted to improve the performance of mechanical/structural components for industrial needs. Original research papers and review articles on the improvements in all subjects of surface engineering are welcomed.

The main topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Study of the microstructural characteristics of engineered surfaces;
  • Tribological and mechanical evaluation of traditional and 3D-printed components;
  • Recent developments in technologies of surface modification.

Dr. Mattia Merlin
Dr. Annalisa Fortini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • surface modification
  • tribological characterization
  • wear mechanisms
  • corrosion behaviour
  • simulation
  • modeling
  • advanced materials and coatings

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

20 pages, 7439 KiB  
Article
Effect of Post-Fabrication Heat Treatments on the Microstructure of WC-12Co Direct Energy Depositions
by Cindy Morales, Annalisa Fortini, Chiara Soffritti and Mattia Merlin
Coatings 2023, 13(8), 1459; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/coatings13081459 - 19 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2231
Abstract
Laser-Directed Energy Deposition (L-DED) is an additive manufacturing technique that has lately been employed to deposit coatings of cemented carbides, such as WC-Co. During deposition, complex microstructural phenomena usually occur, strongly affecting the microstructural and mechanical behavior of the coatings. Post-fabrication heat treatments [...] Read more.
Laser-Directed Energy Deposition (L-DED) is an additive manufacturing technique that has lately been employed to deposit coatings of cemented carbides, such as WC-Co. During deposition, complex microstructural phenomena usually occur, strongly affecting the microstructural and mechanical behavior of the coatings. Post-fabrication heat treatments (PFHTs) may be applied to homogenize and strengthen the microstructure; nevertheless, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, just a few papers deepened the effect of these treatments on cemented carbides fabricated by additive manufacturing. This work evaluates the influence of four PFHTs on the microstructural evolution and hardness of L-DED WC-12Co. For each treatment, different combinations of solubilization time and temperature (between 30 and 180 min and from 400 °C to 700 °C, respectively) were adopted. The microstructure was investigated by optical and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, whereas the mechanical properties were determined by Vickers hardness measurements. Based on the results, high microstructural heterogeneity in terms of WC particles, η-phase structures, and Co distribution was observed in the sample in the as-built condition. Some cracking defects were also observed in the samples, irrespective of the heat treatment conditions. Finally, a finer microstructure and a lower amount of brittle ternary η-phase, together with an increase in hardness (1030 ± 95 HV10), were found for the highest dwelling times (180 min) and for solubilization temperatures in the range of 500–600 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification for Improving the Performance of Engineering Components)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 5486 KiB  
Article
Fabrication and Characterization of Ti/TiC Composite Layers by an Electron-Beam Surface Modification
by Stefan Valkov, Daniela Nedeva, Vladimir Dunchev, Fatme Padikova, Maria Ormanova, Borislav Stoyanov and Nikolay Nedyalkov
Coatings 2023, 13(5), 951; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/coatings13050951 - 19 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1534
Abstract
In this study, the possibilities for modification and improvement of the surface structure and properties of titanium substrates by a formation of composite Ti/TiC layers are presented. The layers were fabricated by a two-step electron-beam surface modification technique. The first step consists of [...] Read more.
In this study, the possibilities for modification and improvement of the surface structure and properties of titanium substrates by a formation of composite Ti/TiC layers are presented. The layers were fabricated by a two-step electron-beam surface modification technique. The first step consists of injection of C powder within the pure Ti substrates by electron-beam alloying technology. The second step is the refinement and homogenization of the microstructure by the electron-beam remelting procedure. During the remelting, the speed of the motion of the samples was varied, and two (most representative) velocities were chosen: 5 and 15 mm/s. Considering both speeds of the motion of the specimens, a composite structure in the form of fine TiC particles distributed within the base titanium matrix was formed. The remelting speed of 5 mm/s led to the formation of a much thicker composite layer, where the TiC particles were significantly more homogeneously distributed. The results obtained for the Vickers microhardness exhibit a significant increase in the value in the mentioned mechanical characteristic in comparison with the base Ti substrate. In the case of the lower speed of the motion of the specimen during the remelting procedure, the microhardness is 510 HV, or about 2.5 times higher than that of the titanium substrate. The application of a higher speed of the specimen motion leads to a decrease in the microhardness in comparison with the case of lower velocity. However, it is still much higher than that of the base Ti material. The mean microhardness of the sample obtained by the remelting speed of motion of 15 mm/s is 360 HV, or it is 1.8 times higher than that of the base material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification for Improving the Performance of Engineering Components)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 38190 KiB  
Article
Effect of Grain Sizes on the Friction and Wear Behavior of Dual-Phase Microstructures with Similar Macrohardness and Composition
by Corentin Penfornis, Abdeljalil Jourani and Pierre-Emmanuel Mazeran
Coatings 2023, 13(3), 533; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13030533 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 940
Abstract
The tribological behavior of dual-phase steels have been studied at the macroscopic scale taking the macrohardness as the main material property to control friction and wear. However, the contribution to the macroscopic behavior of the varying properties of the phase at the microscopic [...] Read more.
The tribological behavior of dual-phase steels have been studied at the macroscopic scale taking the macrohardness as the main material property to control friction and wear. However, the contribution to the macroscopic behavior of the varying properties of the phase at the microscopic scale are yet to be fully understood. In this study, dual-phase microstructures with various grain sizes and martensite volume fraction are generated. Microhardness of ferrite and martensite are measured by nanoindentation tests while their friction and wear behavior are studied by conducting scratch tests with various conical tips. Results show that for martensite, friction coefficient and wear resistance are proportional to its carbon content, whatever the martensite grain size. Whereas changing the ferrite grain size has two effects on the tribological behavior of the microstructure. First, the friction and wear resistance of ferrite are related to its grain size through a Hall–Petch relationship. Second, at a given martensite volume fraction, the mean wear resistance changes from the Equal Wear mode to the Equal Pressure mode as the ratio of the contact size to the ferrite grain size increases, while the mean friction coefficient always correlates to the Equal Pressure mode. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification for Improving the Performance of Engineering Components)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 4303 KiB  
Article
Production and Characterization of Photocatalytic PEO Coatings Containing TiO2 Powders Recovered from Wastes
by Luca Pezzato, Elena Colusso, Pietrogiovanni Cerchier, Alessio Giorgio Settimi and Katya Brunelli
Coatings 2023, 13(2), 411; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/coatings13020411 - 11 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1568
Abstract
In this work, the possibility of incorporating TiO2 titanium dioxide particles derived from the recycling process of photovoltaic panels into PEO coatings was investigated. These particles constitute the main filler of the polymer constituting the rear part of the panels, and are [...] Read more.
In this work, the possibility of incorporating TiO2 titanium dioxide particles derived from the recycling process of photovoltaic panels into PEO coatings was investigated. These particles constitute the main filler of the polymer constituting the rear part of the panels, and are characterized by possessing photocatalytic properties. The particles were added in different quantities to the electrolyte (a basic solution containing sodium silicate). The incorporation into the PEO coating produced on an aluminum alloy 1050, and the possibility of conferring photocatalytic properties to the surface of the samples were studied. The different samples were first characterized by optical microscope analysis, SEM and XRD and from the point of view of corrosion resistance by means of potentiodynamic tests. The photocatalytic properties of the samples were evaluated by monitoring the degradation of aqueous solutions of methylene blue exposed to a UV lamp. The particles have been successfully incorporated into the coating, and their presence does not alter the corrosion properties, which are improved compared to the uncoated sample. The particles, initially composed of a mixture of rutile and anatase, are instead transformed into rutile after incorporation due to the locally very high temperatures that can occur during the PEO process. In the samples obtained with higher quantities of titanium dioxide particles (60 and 80 g/L), a significant photocatalytic effect is observed with a significant reduction of methylene blue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification for Improving the Performance of Engineering Components)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 5853 KiB  
Article
Influence of Anodizing by Electro-Chemical Oxidation on Fatigue and Wear Resistance of the EV31A-T6 Cast Magnesium Alloy
by Gianluca Di Egidio, Lavinia Tonelli, Alessandro Morri, Iuri Boromei, Pavel Shashkov and Carla Martini
Coatings 2023, 13(1), 62; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/coatings13010062 - 29 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1658
Abstract
In the last decades, several anodizing processes for Mg alloys have been proposed to achieve a good wear and corrosion resistance combination. In particular, Electro-Chemical Oxidation (ECO) showed an improved dense and compact anodized layer compared to other anodizing processes carried out above [...] Read more.
In the last decades, several anodizing processes for Mg alloys have been proposed to achieve a good wear and corrosion resistance combination. In particular, Electro-Chemical Oxidation (ECO) showed an improved dense and compact anodized layer compared to other anodizing processes carried out above the dielectric breakdown voltage, such as Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO). However, the influence of the ECO treatment on the tribological behavior and cyclic mechanical performance of Mg alloys has not been investigated yet. This paper reports on the influence of ECO on dry sliding behavior (vs. 100Cr6 bearing steel (block-on-ring contact geometry)) and rotating bending fatigue performance of the rare earth (RE)-containing Mg alloy EV31A-T6, comparing it with both untreated EV31A-T6 and PEO-treated EV31A-T6, used as benchmarks. The ECO-treated alloy showed improved tribological behavior (critical load for coating failure one order of magnitude higher and coefficient of friction 40% lower than for PEO) and fatigue strength (no decrease for ECO-treated samples compared to the untreated alloy, while PEO-treated samples induced a 15% decrease) due to the increased compactness and lower defectivity of the anodized layer, induced by the minimization of destructive arc discharges during coating growth. In addition, the ECO treatment significantly improved wear resistance compared to the untreated alloy, avoiding, at the same time, the decrease in fatigue strength, which typically occurs after PEO. Therefore, the ECO process can be applied to improve wear resistance without decreasing the fatigue strength of high-performance components. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification for Improving the Performance of Engineering Components)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 309 KiB  
Review
Surface Modification of Metallic Nanoparticles for Targeting Drugs
by Abdullah Abdelkawi, Aliyah Slim, Zaineb Zinoune and Yashwant Pathak
Coatings 2023, 13(9), 1660; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/coatings13091660 - 21 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1769
Abstract
This review focuses on the surface modification of metallic nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery. Metallic nanoparticles, owing to their unique size, stability, and payload capacity, have emerged as promising drug carriers. However, their application necessitates surface modification to enable precise targeting. Various strategies, [...] Read more.
This review focuses on the surface modification of metallic nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery. Metallic nanoparticles, owing to their unique size, stability, and payload capacity, have emerged as promising drug carriers. However, their application necessitates surface modification to enable precise targeting. Various strategies, such as polymer coating methods, the use of functional groups, and bio-conjugation with targeting ligands, are explored. The review also discusses the selection of ligands based on target receptors, active and passive targeting approaches, and stimuli-responsive targeting. It further delves into the challenges of translating these strategies to clinical settings, including scalability, toxicity, and regulatory hurdles. The surface modification of metallic nanoparticles is a promising avenue for targeted drug delivery. Various strategies, including polymer coating, functionalization with specific groups, and bioconjugation with targeting ligands, have been explored to enhance the therapeutic potential of these nanoparticles. The challenges in clinical translation, continuous advancements in nanoparticle synthesis, and surface modification techniques offer a positive outlook for the future of targeted metallic nanoparticle systems. Despite the promising potential of metallic nanoparticles in drug delivery, there are several challenges that need to be addressed for their successful clinical translation. These include scalable fabrication and functionalization of nanoparticles, toxicity concerns, and regulatory hurdles. However, continuous advancements in nanoparticle synthesis and surface modification techniques are expected to overcome these challenges in the near future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Modification for Improving the Performance of Engineering Components)
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop