Abstract

Set parameters of materials realised not in the entire volume, but only in the surface layer of parts are enough to provide working ability of many joints used in mechanical engineering. First of all, it relates to such important characteristics of materials as wear resistance and resistance to electrochemical corrosion and oxidation. Modifying of surface layer of machine parts with the aim of providing it with special properties not typical of materials within the volume of parts is the subject of a scientific and technical discipline called surface engineering. It utilises a vast multiplicity of special technologies. Apart from the methods of surface thermal and chemothermal processing described above, targeted alteration of properties of surface of articles may be arrived through application of coatings on them – relatively thin layers of a material with required properties which are adhesively bound to the article surface.