Functional Coatings

Abstract

Traditionally a coating is defined as a material layer applied onto a surface for protection or decoration. Usually it protects the surface from a variety of environmental problems such as corrosion of solder joints, moisture and mildew, fuels and process solvents, service temperatures and dust, dirt and physical damage from handling. Since 2010, the rapid advancement of the micro and nanotechnology has collided with the coatings field resulting in new coatings with novel properties and functions that differ from the traditional ones. Functional coatings consists of organic, inorganic or hybrid materials and can be prepared using a huge amount of techniques depending on the properties of the materials, the substrate and the final application of the coating. Therefore it is possible to find coatings with optical properties, thermal capabilities, structural and mechanical features, physico-chemical properties, magnetic and electric characteristics and biological purposes that cannot be found in the starting materials.