What is ion plating?

ion plating is a technique that is coatings of substance, usually metal or compound, stored on the target part or surface. The coating material is evaporated and ionized by an electric arc and then driven at a high speed towards the target where the electric charge of ionized particles causes to connect to the surface of the target. This technique is sometimes called physical deposition of steam. It is usually performed in a vacuum chamber or in the atmosphere of inert gas.

The materials that undergo ion plating are first treated to remove any foreign material and clean all surfaces. This is done in the same environment in which the plating should be carried out and called spraying. The spray process is similar to the plating process that follows, but the goal is bombarded by other material ions, such as argon gas, which instead of binding to target disrupts the surface of all foreign substances. The surface must be perfectly clean to ensure the correct closer of the coating material.

Once the goal is treated and ready for the coating, the ion process begins. The coating material is evaporated by means of an electric arc current, which uses a very low voltage with a high current. This not only evaporates the coating material, but also ionizes individual atoms that repel each other because of their same electric charge. This steam is then driven to a target that has a weak contradictory electric charge for attracting ionized coating material. This causes the evaporated coating ions to connect to the prepared surface.

The basic technique for ion plating can be modified in many ways. By introducing certain gases and other evaporated ions into a closed environment, it is possible to combine evaporated ions of one material with other ions to create a new compound, which is then joined with a goal. Combination of various types of materials allow a wide range of coatings.

coatings applied by techniquesIon plating are often very thin and very even. These coatings may have thickness on the order of microns. The ability to apply such thin coatings evenly makes this technique good for parts with irregular shapes and also for the application of coatings that cannot be applied by other techniques, such as electrical deformations.