Etching Heat Treatment

What is Abrasive Heat Treatment?

Abrasive heat treatment is a process aimed at obtaining a specific surface texture or microstructural change by abrasively or wear-inducing the material's surface in a controlled manner. This method can be used on various materials such as metals, ceramics, and polymers, and is generally applied to improve surface hardness, friction properties, or adhesion capacity.

The abrasive process is carried out using physical or chemical methods to remove unwanted layers from the material's surface, achieve roughness, or create a specific pattern.

How is Abrasive Heat Treatment Applied?

Abrasive treatment can be applied in different ways depending on the method used. Common methods include:

  • Thermal Abrasive:
    • Allows controlled abrasion of the material's surface under high temperature and pressure.
    • For example, the surface can be thinned or modified using plasma or laser.
    • Used for processing special alloys in the aerospace and space industries.
  • Chemical Abrasive:
    • The surface of metals or other materials is abraded using acids, alkalis, or special chemical solutions.
    • Commonly used in microelectronic circuit production (e.g., PCBs).
  • Sanding:
    • Surface roughening is achieved by spraying high-pressure sand, glass beads, or metal powders.
    • Used for surface cleaning and pre-treatment of steel, aluminum, and other metals.
  • Electrochemical Abrasive:
    • Uses electrical current to remove ions from the metal surface.
    • Used in the processing of stainless steel, titanium, and special alloys.
  • Laser Abrasive:
    • Uses laser beams to remove a specific amount of material from the surface.
    • Used for precision surface processing and the creation of microstructures.
  • Water Jet Abrasive:
    • Shapes the surface using high-pressure water jets and abrasive particles.
    • Preferred in aerospace, automotive, and metal processing industries.

Materials Used in Abrasive Heat Treatment

Abrasive heat treatment can be applied to many different materials:

Metals: Steel, aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, copper, bronze.
Ceramics: Silicon carbide, zirconia, alumina.
Polymers: PTFE, polycarbonate, acrylic.
Composite Materials: Carbon fiber, glass fiber reinforced polymers.
Abrasive Heat Treatment

Sectors Using Abrasive Heat Treatment

Abrasive treatment has a wide range of applications across various industries:

  • Automotive: Increasing surface hardness of engine components, abrasion-resistant coatings.
  • Aerospace: Preparation of thermal barrier coatings, processing of lightweight and durable materials.
  • Electronics: Semiconductor circuit production, etching of printed circuit boards (PCBs).
  • Medical: Improving surface properties of surgical instruments, processing of implant materials.
  • Metalworking: Cleaning, roughening, and hardening of steel and aluminum surfaces.
  • Defense Industry: Making firearm barrels and military equipment abrasion-resistant.
  • Architecture and Construction: Etching and processing decorative metal surfaces.

Contact us for industry-specific heat treatment furnace solutions!

Contact