Coatings Classification

ARPAN SHAH
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
GOVERNMENT ENGINEERING COLLEGE BHARUCH.
Types of coatings

Coatings may be divided in different ways, depending on the criteria used. The
most significant division appears to be

• by material,

• by designation and

• by method of manufacture of the coating.

Division of coatings by material

• coatings may be divided in two groups: metallic and non-metallic.

• Very often the name of the coating is derived from the coating material used.

1. Metallic coatings
Such coatings are made from different metals, metal alloys and metal composites, and
deposited on substrates, most often themselves metallic, by different methods
• Coating metals: zinc, nickel, chromium, aluminium, tin, cadmium, copper, lead, silver,
gold, iron, cobalt, indium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, and platinum. Often,
refractory metals are also used, such as titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium,
niobium, tantalum, molybdenum and tungsten.

• Alloys and coating composites: steels (particularly alloyed, corrosion and heat
resistant), brasses as well as alloys of metals: Pb-Sn-Cu, Sn- Ni, W-Co, W-Ni, Ni-Fe,
Co-Mo, Zn-Al, Zn-Fe, Zn-Ni, Zn-Mn, Zn-Ce, Zn-Sn, Al-Si, Ni-Cr, Co-Cr, Ni-Al, Pb-Zn,
Ni-B-Si, Ni-Cr-B-Si, Ni-Cr-B-Si-C, Co-Mo-Cr-Si, Ni-Cr-Al-Y.
• Metallic coatings are usually deposited on expensive, precision components,
rather small in size, which may also be exposed to mechanical hazards in
service conditions.
2. Non-metallic coatings
• These coatings, numerous and varied, are made from organic materials (paint,
rubber, plastic) and inorganic (enamels, ceramics), of natural and synthetic
origin and bearing many different trade and chemical names. Most often used
coating materials (or their basic constituents) are:
Non-metallic coatings (Contd..)

• Paints
• Varnishes
• Resins Non-metal coatings, particularly paints,
• Varnishing enamels varnishes and enamels, are used to coat rather
• Oils big objects which are exposed to only small
• Cements mechanical hazard. Exceptions to this rule are
• Waxes ceramic, enamel and metal ceramics which can
• Rubbers sustain high mechanical loads.
• Latexes
• Metal ceramics
• Ceramic material
Classification of coatings by application

From the point of view of application, coatings can be divided into four
groups:
• protective,
• decorative,
• decorative-protective and
• technical.
Protective coatings

• Protection of the object from the harmful effect of the environment, mainly
the atmosphere and chemicals, as well as from mechanical hazards.
• These coatings may also feature properties other than anti-corrosion, e.g.,
higher hardness, resistance to tribological wear, or attractive appearance.
These, however, are properties of secondary importance. Since they protect
the object from different types of corrosion, they are sometimes referred to
as anti-corrosion coatings.
• From the point of view of service life, protective coatings may be
classified as temporary and permanent protection coatings.
Protective coatings
Coatings for temporary protection

• It serves to secure (mostly metals) against corrosion during transport or

storage, as well as during inter-operational periods before the product goes
into service.
• Most often these are coatings easily removed by stripping, grinding down
or washing off.
• Their composition is based on e.g., oils, greases, asphalts, waxes, some
varnishes and some plastics
Coatings for permanent protection

• It serve to secure the surfaces of products during service.

• These are the majority of metallic coatings and many paints, varnishes and
enamels, metal ceramic, ceramic, rubber and latex.
Decorative coating

• Decorative coatings, once called ornamental, serve predominantly to give the metal or
non-metal object an aesthetic external appearance.
• This depends first of all on color, luster and resistance to tarnishing and also, perhaps,
surface finish of the coating as well as shine properties.
• It is evident that decorative coatings, in many cases, make good protective coatings.
• Decorative coatings may be both metallic and non-metallic.
• Each metal or alloy has its own characteristic color. Luster is dependent on surface
smoothness or it is obtained by the addition of so-called lustering substances to the
electrolyte bath.
• Among metals used in the manufacture of decorative coatings, the only ones which do
not tarnish are chromium, gold , rhodium, palladium and platinum.
• Silver and nickel coatings become tarnished in some environments,
Decorative coating
Decorative coating

• Silver and nickel coatings become tarnished in some environments, e.g., in an

atmosphere contaminated by sulfur compounds; silver surfaces are covered with a gray-
black film of silver sulphide

• Among non-metallic coatings, paints are the most broadly used. Almost all paint
coatings have decorative functions. The remaining non-metallic coatings, with the
exception of enamels, some coatings in the form of deposited nitride layers and some
plastic coatings, are, as a rule, not used for decorative purposes.
Decorative coating

• In the case of some electroplated and paint coatings, used both for protective and
decorative purposes.
• Decorative coatings are much thinner than the protective coatings.
• Usually, natural environment penetrates easier to the substrate metal through a thin
layer (through pores, leaks and other flaws), but protection is not the main function of
the decorative coating.
• Besides, such coatings are designed to be used in gentler conditions than their
protective counterparts. For example, thicknesses of electroplated decorative coatings
are small and range from 0.25 to 3 μm, while protective coatings often reach 60 μm
Protective-decorative coatings

• Protective-decorative coatings, sometimes also called decorative-protective, serve both

to protect the object against corrosion and light mechanical damage, and to give the
surface an aesthetic appearance.

• A gold coating of 25 to 30 μm thickness insulates copper alloys well from aggressive

atmospheric effects
• Regarding electrolytic coatings, the protective-decorative role is fulfilled by nickel,
chrome, and copper-nickel-chrome coatings on condition that they are sufficiently
thick.

• It is accepted that their thickness should not be less than 25 mm.

• Corrosion protection is assured by sandwiched layers of nickel or copper and nickel.

Sometimes, sandwiched copper layers are replaced by brass but with the same
thickness these offer poorer corrosion protection than copper
• Majority of non-metallic coatings functions as both protective and decorative,
particularly those of plastic, enamel and paint. Oxide coatings synthetically obtained
on metals not only offer good protection, but also give the object an attractive
appearance.

• Nickel is used for the protection of steel, copper and zinc substrates, as well as those
made of copper alloys or zinc alloys.
Technical coatings

Coatings which enhance tribological properties

• In the majority of cases better tribological properties are exhibited by harder than by softer
metal coatings. The hardness of electroplated coatings is varied and ranges from the hardness
of lead to that of rhodium. Moreover, hardness may also differ for coatings of the same
material, depending on both composition and conditions of deposition.
• Most frequently, as resistance coatings wear, hard chrome-plated layers of 10 to 30 μm
thickness are used. For high sliding velocities and high unit loads, electroplated silver or
indium coatings of 500 to 1500 μm, as well as porous chrome coatings, are used.
• Among non-metallic coatings, very high hardness and excellent tribological properties are
exhibited by nitride, oxide, carbide and boride coatings, deposited in vacuum by PVD and
CVD techniques.
Technical coatings

• Coatings which enhance electrical properties.

• These coatings serve first and foremost to enhance electrical conductivity of terminals
and are used in electrical and electronics applications.
• Since very good electrical conductivity is exhibited by silver, very often silver coatings
are deposited on copper, brass and bronze substrates.
• In conditions of normal use of terminals made of these metals, the thickness of silver
coatings applied is 12 μm, while in the presence of moisture and condensing water
vapor this thickness is doubled and in the case of sliding contacts it is even greater.
• Protection against tarnishing of silver coatings insulates them electrically; additional
very thin (0.2 to 1 μm) electrodeposited layers of gold, rhodium or indium are used,
with chemical or electrochemical passivation as an alternate method.
Classification of coatings by manufacturing
methods:

Galvanizing

• Coatings of this type are deposited directly from a galvanic bath or with
the application of an external source of electric current .

• The thickness of mono- or multi-layered coatings may even exceed 50

m.

• The following groups of coatings belong to this category.

Galvanizing
Electroplated (electrolitic) coatings.
• The electroplated coating is a metal coating applied in a process of electrolysis, with the
application of an external source of electric current. It is usually direct current.
• In some of the most recent applications, pulsed alternating current may be used
(Electropulse plating), which allows the obtaining of superior technological results, e.g.,
higher cathode current density, better penetration and good refinement of the crystallized
coating grains. These coatings can be further
1. Bath Deposited
2. Tampon Deposited
Chemical (electroless) coatings.
• These are metal coatings obtained by way of chemical reaction, without
the participation of externally supplied electric current. Depending on the
mechanism of reaction, they may be obtained by:
1. Exchange
2. Contact
3. Chemical Reduction
Conversion coatings.

• These are non-metallic coatings, obtained on metal surfaces in the form of compounds
of the substrate metals, e.g., chromate coatings on zinc, cadmium and silver or oxide
layers on steel and aluminium.

• These may be divided into

1. Chemical

2. Electrochemical
Immersion coatings:

• Immersion coatings are obtained by immersion of the entire object or of its portion in
a bath of the coating material.

• Depending on the type of coating material, its physical state may be solid or liquid. In
the first case, before depositing the coating, the material must, obviously, be melted.
After removing from the bath, the coating material dries on the object, or solidifies,
forming the coating.

• Immersion coatings are divided into three major groups: hot dip, gel and paint.
Spray coatings
• Spray coatings (sprayed coatings) are obtained by spraying the surfaces of different objects
(metallic or non-metallic), depositing a layer of substance which is generated by dispersion
(usually with the aid of a spray gun) into tiny particles of powdered material or already powdered
material, applied with high kinetic energy.
• Owing to this energy, the particles, upon making contact with the sprayed surface, exert pressure
which assures good adhesion of the coating to the substrate.
• Dispersion of particles is usually accomplished pneumatically, less frequently by hydraulic means.
Material particles may fall on the substrate as
– cold (e.g., particles of paints, varnishes and plastics) and adhere to the substrate either by forces of
viscosity or electrostatic forces (powdered coating materials), or both (liquids);
– hot (semi-plastic or plastic state or even heated to a temperature above melting point).

The first method is used for spraying paint materials and is traditionally counted among painting
methods , while the second method is termed thermal spraying.
Paint coatings.
Three basic types of sprayed paint coatings are distinguished: those applied
pneumatically, hydrostatically and electrostatically.
To these may be added coatings obtained by flows. Although quite diverse
from the above, some common elements are also shared by coatings which
may be called smeared.
Smeared coatings
Flow coatings
Pneumatically sprayed coatings
Hydrodynamically sprayed coatings
Electrostatically sprayed coatings
Thermal spray coatings.
Depending on the method of generating heat to melt or plastify the coating
material, to be simultaneously or subsequently sprayed with a pneumatic drive,
the following types of coatings are distinguished:
– flame - when the particles are heated by passing through a gas oxygen flame,
– resistance - when the coating material is melted in a resistance heated pot,
– arc - when the coating material is melted in a zone of arc discharges (in arc
plasma) or when the material is passed through such a zone,
– induction - when the powdered coating material is passed through a zone of
induction plasma,
– plasma - when the coating material is melted in an electric arc strongly
extended by the flow of plasmogenic gas or when the coating material is
passed through the arc zone.
Cladded coatings

• Cladded coatings have thicknesses reaching several millimeters.

• They are made of a metal which is more noble or more decorative than the
substrate on which they are deposited.

• These coatings, also called plating were applied to steel and non-ferrous
metals, by coating with a single or double layer of noble metal,

• Presently, the concept of cladded coatings has been significantly broadened.

They comprise two groups: pressure and overlay coatings.