4 Things To Consider When Choosing a Surface Treatment

Do you need a surface treatment but aren’t sure which is best for your application? We can help you decide with our guide on things to consider when choosing a surface treatment, from the materials’ function to the treatment’s environmental impact.

Function

The first thing to consider is the surface’s function, the materials, and the treatment’s objective. Are you cleaning the surface so that it’s more adhesive, looks better, or makes the surface more durable and protective?

If the purpose is to strengthen the surface layer, an electrochemical surface treatment (anodizing) or powder coating would be ideal to increase the material’s durability. If the objective is to raise the surface’s wettability, plasma surface treatment is the best option.

Cost

Of course, the cost and expense of the surface treatment will also be a major factor in decision-making. Some treatments require more expensive equipment, machinery, and systems and repeatedly use expensive consumables and chemicals.

Some surface treatments, such as plasma treatment, require an upfront investment in the machinery but don’t require any additional consumables and chemicals, so they offer better long-term value. Other treatments, such as anodizing, are relatively cheap. But owners must pay to use them every time, meaning they’ll see a gradual drag on the budget instead of paying one lump sum.

Environmental Impact

Another thing to consider when choosing a surface treatment that you should never overlook is the environmental impact. Many surface treatments, especially cleaning treatments, require expensive and hazardous chemicals that can harm the environment.

One of the best reasons to choose plasma over other surface treatments is it doesn’t produce any hazardous waste or chemical fumes that could damage the environment. All a plasma surface treatment needs are electricity and clean, dry air.

Aesthetics

Lastly, the way you want the surface and material to look greatly influences what surface treatment is ideal for your application. People often choose some surface treatments, such as spray coatings and physical vapor deposition, purely for aesthetic purposes to produce a glossy decorative coating on a material.

Chemical treatment, for example, is best for metal coloring and providing a colorful finish and priming surface for metals that need painting. But these decorative treatments often sacrifice in other areas like durability and wettability, so weigh the pros and cons for your application.