ABSTRACT
The Department of Metallurgy at the University of South Australia is presently following a similar procedure to identify possible viable alternatives to traditional wear-, and corrosion-resistant coatings and surface treatments used in the automobile industry. Under heavy abrasive conditions, thicker coatings produced by the various boronising processes may be of use. However, despite decreased coefficients of friction and improved corrosion resistance, the tooth-like nature of the coating/substrate interface is believed to impair both fatigue and impact strength of treated components. Plasma surface treatments such as plasma nitriding and plasma nitrocar-burising are worthy of particular consideration. Thin nitride or carbide coatings can also be produced by chemical vapour deposition. Although the process can be carried out at atmospheric pressure, operation at reduced pressures is recommended due to the benefits of improved coating uniformity and lower levels of contamination.
