One of the main applications of chromium is the production of stainless steel and chrome plating. The process of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object can be done to add aesthetic appeal or to make the surface harder and more corrosion-resistant. Chrome plating can produce chromium layers as thin as 0.001...Continue Reading
The foundation of plasma technology is a basic physical principle. When energy is applied to matter, solids become liquids, and liquids turn into gases. If yet more energy is applied, the gas is ionized and it enters the energy-rich plasma state, the fourth state of matter. Plasma is a word used to describe matter that...Continue Reading
What is PVD Coating? Physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating refers to various coating techniques in which thin layers are created on a substrate using physical techniques. Each technology has a unique set of benefits. PVD coating starts by depositing films with precise stoichiometries to achieve color PVD finishes (ratio of certain elements). Typically, a base...Continue Reading
If you’ve ever heard of thin film coatings, then you might know about Sputtering! This involves materials being ejected from a source called a “target” onto a “substrate” like a silicon wafer. By injecting a reactive gas (usually oxygen or nitrogen) into the plasma, which is normally created by an inert gas like argon (the...Continue Reading
What is Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD)? Pulse laser deposition is a method of physical vapor deposition. In this process, a high-power pulsed laser beam is centered on a target within the vacuum chamber. The laser beam vaporizes the target material and deposits it as a thin film on a substrate. The process involves evaporation, ablation,...Continue Reading
What is Hot Isostatic Pressing? Hot isostatic pressing is one of the methods popularly used to process chemical materials. In this method, a material is compressed in a furnace at temperatures between 1173 K to 2523 K and pressures between 100 to 200 MPa. It is quite similar to another process known as hot pressing....Continue Reading
What is Cold Isostatic Pressing (CIP)? Cold isostatic pressing is a method of processing materials. It is quite similar to another process known as metal mold processing. CIP functions based on a principle proposed by Blaise Pascal. This principle is popularly known as Pascal’s law and it states that pressure applied in an enclosed fluid...Continue Reading
Introduction Electron beam evaporation and thermal evaporation are types of physical vapor deposition methods. Both processes have some similarities as well as differences. Ever wondered which of these processes is best for coating a substrate you’re working on? Read on. What is Physical Vapor Deposition? Physical vapor deposition is a method of coating substrates below...Continue Reading
Introduction Plasma spray coating is a form of thermal spraying. It involves heating a material electrically and spraying it on the substrate to be coated. This process can be used on a large surface area at a higher deposition rate than most other methods of thin-film deposition. A wide range of materials can be used...Continue Reading
