Specialist Metallic Coatings
Specialist metallic coatings are advanced materials that offer unique properties and performance advantages over traditional coatings. They are engineered to provide a wide range of enhanced properties to metal substrates, enabling them to withstand harsh environments and meet demanding application requirements, such as corrosion resistance, wear resistance, thermal protection, and electrical conductivity.
They are used in a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, electronics, decorative finishes, and energy.
Specialist metallic coatings innovation is focused on developing new and improved materials and processes to improve the performance, durability, and sustainability of coatings and the performance of metal surfaces in demanding applications.
The specialist metallic coatings development landscape in the UK and Europe is highly active, and PI-KEM is a leading supplier of specialist metallic powders, flakes, and granules into both research and commercial production. PI-KEM acquired Hart Materials in 2021, which further expanded their capabilities in this area.
PI-KEM and PI-KEM Hart’s Materials Teams can support with enquiries ranging from small quantities to large volumes of coating precursors and materials, dependent on the customers’ requirements.
Research Focus
- New coating materials and processes: Development of new coating materials with higher thermal resistance, corrosion resistance, wear-resistant, longevity and thermal stability. There is also development of existing processes including electroplating and 3D printing, and novel processes, to improve efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability, producing thinner and more precise coating and electrochemical processes that can be used to coat complex shapes. The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (IST) is exploring how AI-based inline measuring can improve the quality of outputs from electroplating.
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- Integration of coatings with other surface engineering technologies: Exploration of ways to integrate coatings with other surface engineering technologies, such as laser texturing and additive manufacturing. This could lead to the development of new types of coatings with even better performance. The European Union Horizon 2020 project SURECOAT is developing new sustainable and environmentally friendly coating processes to increase the energy efficiency of electrical engines, heating systems and heat storage units, by at least 50 % and increase the use of recycled Aluminium by 70 % by using surface treatments and innovative production technologies.
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- Coatings for specific applications: Development of coatings for specific applications, such as aerospace, automotive, decorative finishes, and energy. This includes developing coatings that can withstand the harsh conditions found in these applications, as well as coatings that can improve the performance of components. Researchers at the University of Leeds are developing a new wear-resistant coating that is made from a mixture of metal and ceramic materials. This coating could be used to protect components in applications such as mining and construction.
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- Nanostructured coatings: Investigating the use of nanostructured coatings to improve performance. For example, researchers are developing nanocomposite coatings that are harder, more wear-resistant, and more corrosion-resistant than traditional coatings. The Advanced Devices by Electroplating (ADEPT) research project is a collaboration between the Universities of Southampton, Nottingham and Warwick that aims to revolutionise science and technological capability in the areas of thermoelectric, infrared detection, and phase change materials, by pushing the state of the art of electrodeposition and device design at the nanoscale. Click here to learn more. University of Plymouth MAST Scientists are working to use coated TiO2 nanotubes coated with nano-ZnO and nano-Ag to produce an antibacterial and biocompatible nanocomposite for dental/ orthopaedic implants.
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