Surface treatment is a process applied to a substance's surface to enhance it in a particular way. Engineers frequently require an additional finishing treatment technique for a section, or all, of the outside surface of a metal product in an effort to avoid corrosion or just improve the look.
Some of these treatments also offer improved mechanical or electrical qualities that support the component's overall operation.
Various benefits of surface treatment chemicals, such as thermal conductivity, abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, and oxidation resistance, are driving their demand across industries, including the coil industry, electrical and electronics, automotive, and construction.
Moreover, the development of heavy machinery is also stimulating the demand for surface treatment methods using advanced materials and chemicals. Manufacturers coat heavy machinery with surface-treatment chemicals to protect it from corrosion and a few other problems. Heavy machinery needs ongoing prevention.
The expansion of building projects in numerous emerging nations, such as China, India, and Thailand, as well as the rising use of chemicals in the automotive industry, are anticipated to further fuel the growth of the global surface treatment chemicals market.
According to the BIS Research report, the global surface treatment chemicals market is projected to reach $11,889.2 million by 2031 from $5,623.3 million in 2021, growing at a CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period 2022-2031.
Figure 1 Surface treatment chemicals market growth
Types of Surface Treatment Methods
Different technological advancements have led to innovative treatment methods for surface treatment chemicals. The following section focuses on the increasing traction of different treatment methods and their processes in surface treatment chemicals:
1. Electroplating: This process is mainly used to improve the conductivity of almost any base metal. A flat metal protective layer is created on the particles through the surface treatment process of electroplating, which involves passing a charged particle's electrical current through a mixture of solubilized metallic ions and an oppositely charged electrical current through the conductive material.
Figure 2 Copper electroplating procedure
This surface treatment is applied to different types of precious metals for automotive applications, such as copper, nickel, gold, silver, zinc, and tin. Other electroplating chemicals used in the surface treatment of metals include electrolyte replacements, sealants, passivates, cleaning agents, and pre and post-treatment electroplating chemicals.
Chemical electroplating enhances the physical properties of metals. The corrosion resistance, electric and abrasion resistance, tarnish resistance, and electrical resistivity of metals are all altered by electroplating chemicals.
The automobile, aerospace, and electronics industries are principally responsible for driving the demand for electroplating chemicals. As a result of the increased operational life of metals due to electroplating, heavy manufacturing machinery and transportation equipment also need electroplated metals; thus, the need for electroplating chemicals is anticipated to increase significantly.
2. Chemical Treatment: The chemical treatment process involves chemical reactions that produce sulfide and oxide nanostructures. Some of the typical applications include plating painted surfaces, chemical resistance, and metal coloring.
For all metallic components, black oxide is used as a surface treatment, whereas passivation is used to remove free iron from stainless steel surfaces. The fundamental feature of these techniques is the chemical cleaning of the steel surface.
Depending on the methods employed, the chemicals may also stabilize, abrade, or leave the steel surface unaltered. However, the chemical procedure also improves the metal substrates' resistance to corrosion.
Additionally, chemical processes such as pickling, passivation, electrolytic cleaning, and acid activation are used to prepare the material for surface treatments and plating.
3. Thermal Spraying: In the thermal spraying procedure of surface treatment, components are heated or melted, then mechanically collided and bonded to the surface. To protect larger structural artifacts from extremely high temperatures, thermal spraying is a chemical surface treatment that is often applied to the surfaces of such objects.
A wide variety of applications for thermal spray coatings exist, including protecting aircraft, concrete buildings, and other structural elements against extreme heat, pollutants, and environmental factors, including storms and airborne moisture.
There are several popular thermal spraying techniques, including flame spraying (FLSP), plasma arc spraying (PSP), electric arc spraying (EASP), detonation gun (d-Gun), and high-velocity oxy/fuel spraying (HVOF), among others.
4. Hot Dipping: Hot dipping is a form of galvanization that involves submerging steel entirely in a bath of molten zinc at temperatures that can reach 450°C. When the zinc-coated steel is removed from the hot tub, the atmosphere's oxygen and carbon dioxide react with the zinc to produce a solid, monotonous substance.
This type of galvanization of steel makes it particularly resistant to corrosion and harsh environmental conditions, making it a common choice for industries that deal with pipes. Popular steel surface treatments include hot dipping because it offers more comprehensive protection against all situations and is appropriate for a variety of functionality.
Conclusion
The global surface-treatment chemicals market has expanded over time, making a sizable contribution to the global gross domestic product (GDP). Industries such as automobile, construction, electronics, packaging, aerospace, and coil industries, have experienced substantial development in the adoption of these chemicals. With their increasing usage, these chemicals can be recognized for the qualities they impart to the basic materials on which they are applied, including greater durability, longevity, beauty, resistance to corrosion, and resistance to weathering.
