Surface Engineering by Changing the Composition

Abstract

Improvement in mechanical and tribological properties of the functional surfaces is sometimes achieved by changing chemical composition of near-surface layers with or without subsequent heat treatment. In this chapter, diffusion-based methods like carburizing, nitriding, boronizing, and cyaniding will be presented along with plasma- assisted carburizing and plasma-assisted nitriding. Additionally, vacuum-based surface modification techniques like physical vapor deposition (PVD), sputtering, ion implantation, ion beam-assisted deposition, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) have also been described.