What is the primary purpose of surface treatment for metals?

The primary purpose of surface treatment for metals is to enhance wear resistance. Surface treatments, such as coatings, heat treatments, or ion implantation, are applied to metal surfaces to improve their performance by making them more resistant to wear, corrosion, and fatigue. By altering the surface properties, treatments can increase the life of metal components by reducing the friction and abrasion that occurs during use. This wear resistance is vital in applications where components are subject to high-stress conditions, such as in machinery, tools, and automotive parts.

Improving aesthetics is often a consideration in surface treatments, but it is not the primary purpose. Surface treatments do not aim to increase the weight of metals; instead, they typically maintain or reduce weight while enhancing functionality. Additionally, treatments that might alter a metal’s surface properties focus on increasing durability, not decreasing tensile strength, which would be counterproductive in most engineering applications. Thus, the focus on enhancing wear resistance aligns directly with the function and practicality in the use of surface treatments in metallurgy.