In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’ve re-posted last year’s article on bonds.

“Love is the bond of perfection.” – John Winthrop

Fortunately, since we can’t seem to get 2 adjacent surface materials to love one another; a surface bond can be achieved 2 other ways: mechanically and atomically. And the quality of the bond is related to the force required to completely separate the two materials.

For example, thermal spray provides a mechanical bond. In mechanical bonds, the technician is purposefully creating a very rough surface to cause an interlock of the two materials under high pressure.

Whereas with atomic bonding, the ions of the metals (going from solution to substrate) are connecting to form an ionic bond. Atomic bonds are resistant to cyclical temperature fluctuations and sharp, direct impact. The durability of your surface coating is important if that coating is subject to a corrosive environment. If the base material is properly prepared, tests run in accordance with ASTM C633‑13 on the SIFCO Process® show that two commonly used nickel deposits had a bond strength exceeding the strength of cement. Furthermore, selective plating provides a precise deposit thickness, while thermal spray and other mechanical bonding techniques may require machining to the required dimension.

If you are having problems with adhesion, contact your local territory manager to determine if selective plating is right for your application.

And may your love be as strong as an atomic bond. Happy Valentine’s Day.