Summary Solid materials interact with their environment through their surface phase. Surface
engineering involves the methods and techniques used to alter, characterise and test the
properties of material surfaces. Coatings play a major role as they provide the means to
develop robust surfaces with special properties in order to not only protect materials from
environmental and operational degradation but also to develop new functionalities.
Applications include: advanced tribological coatings combining low friction and wear, adhesive
coatings for structural engineering, self-cleaning surfaces, antibiofouling coatings.
Course
description
Topics to be covered:
Surface structure and roughness
Surface metrology and characterisation
Contact and indentation mechanics
Adhesion and wetting
Superhydrophobic surfaces
Friction, wear and lubrication
Polymer coatings, self-assembly an