Arc welding methods can be classified into shielded metal arc welding, flux-cored arc welding, submerged arc welding, gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, plasma arc welding, plasma-metal inert gas (MIG) welding, and electroslag and electrogas welding. This article provides information on process capabilities, principles of operation, power sources, electrodes, shielding gases, flux, process variables, and advantages and disadvantages of these arc welding methods. It presents information about the arc welding procedures of hardenable carbon and alloy steels, cast irons, stainless steels, heat-resistant alloys, aluminum alloys, copper and copper alloys, magnesium alloys, nickel alloys, and titanium and titanium alloys.

This article describes the characteristics of continuous cathodic arc sources and filtering process for removing macroparticles from a cathodic arc. It provides information on the types of arc sources and the properties of deposited materials. The advantages, limitations, and applications of arc deposition are also discussed.

This article discusses the basic principles of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), covering different instruments used for performing ICP-MS analysis. The instruments covered include the sample-introduction system, ICP ion source, mass analyzer, and ion detector. Emphasis is placed on ICP-MS applications in the semiconductor, photovoltaic, materials science, and other electronics and high-technology areas.

This article introduces thermal spray coatings and describes the various types of coating processes and coating devices, including the flame spray, electric-arc spray, plasma spray, transferred plasma arc, high-velocity oxyfuel, and detonation gun. It provides information on the surface preparation methods and finishing treatments of coated parts. The article also explains the tests to evaluate the coating quality and the effects of coating structures and mechanical properties on coated parts. It concludes with a discussion on the uses of thermal spray coatings.

This article discusses the operating principles, types, and applications of shearing and slitting of different forms of steel, including plates, flat sheets, bars, coiled sheet and strips. In addition, it provides a detailed account of the cutting methods such as oxyfuel gas cutting, plasma arc cutting, oxygen arc cutting, laser beam cutting, and air carbon arc cutting and gouging, describing their process capabilities, equipment used, operating principles and parameters, and factors affecting their efficiency.

This article addresses the cobalt and cobalt-base alloys most suited for aqueous environments and those suited for high temperatures. The performance of cobalt alloys in aqueous environments encountered in commercial applications is discussed. The article provides information on the environmental cracking resistance of the cobalt alloys. Three welding processes that are used for hardfacing with the high-carbon Co-Cr-W alloys, namely, oxyacetylene, gas tungsten arc, and plasma-transferred arc are also discussed. The article examines the effects of various modes of high-temperature corrosion. It describes the applications and fabrication of cobalt alloys for high-temperature service.

Nanotechnology and smart-coating technologies have been reported to show great promise for improved performance in critical areas such as corrosion resistance, durability, and conductivity. This article exemplifies nanofilms and nanomaterials used in coatings applications, including carbon nanotubes, silica, metals/metal oxides, ceramics, clays, buckyballs, graphene, polymers, titanium dioxide, and waxes. These can be produced by a variety of methods, including chemical vapor deposition, plasma arcing, electrodeposition, sol-gel synthesis, and ball milling. The application of nanotechnology and the development of smart coatings have been dependent largely on the availability of analytical and imaging techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy.

Ceramic coatings are applied to metals to protect them against oxidation and corrosion at room temperature and at elevated temperatures. This article provides a detailed account of the factors to be considered when selecting a ceramic coating and describes the characteristics of various coating materials, namely, silicate glasses, oxides, carbides, silicides, and cermets. It reviews ceramic coating methods: brushing, spraying, dipping, flow coating, combustion flame spraying, plasma-arc flame spraying, detonation gun spraying, pack cementation, fluidized-bed deposition, vapor streaming, troweling, and electrophoresis. The article also includes information on the evaluation of the quality of ceramic coatings.

The classes of tool materials for machining operations are high-speed tool steels, carbides, cermets, ceramics, polycrystalline cubic boron nitrides, and polycrystalline diamonds. This article discusses the expanding role of surface engineering in increasing the manufacturing productivity of carbide, cermet, and ceramic cutting tool materials used in machining operations. The useful life of cutting tools may be limited by a variety of wear processes, such as crater wear, flank wear or abrasive wear, builtup edge, depth-of-cut notching, and thermal cracks. The article provides information on the applicable methods for surface engineering of cutting tools, namely, chemical vapor deposited (CVD) coatings, physical vapor deposited coatings, plasma-assisted CVD coatings, diamond coatings, and ion implantation.

In high-iron-tonnage operations, the cupola remains the most efficient source of continuous high volumes of iron needed to satisfy high production foundries or the multiple casting machines of centrifugal pipe producers. This article explores successful improvement technologies in cupola equipment, including preheated air blast, recuperative hot blast systems, and duplex electric holders. It discusses the shell, intermittent or continuous tapping, tuyere and blower systems, refractory lining, water-cooled cupolas, emission-control systems, and storage and handling of the charge materials. The article provides a discussion on control tests for cupola, including the chill test and mechanical test. It concludes with information on specialized cupolas such as cokeless cupola and plasma-fired cupola.

This article presents the principles of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with illustrations. It discusses the types of CVD processes, namely, thermal CVD, plasma CVD, laser CVD, closed-reactor CVD, chemical vapor infiltration, and metal-organic CVD. The article reviews the CVD reactions of materials related to hard, tribological, and high-temperature coatings and to free-standing structures. It concludes by reviewing the advantages, disadvantages, and applications of CVD.

Porous coatings are used in the field of joint replacement, particularly in cementless total hip/knee arthroplasty. This article reviews the offerings and biomaterial properties in orthopedic surgery for the contemporary class of highly porous metals. It describes the traditional porous metal/coating having an open-cell structure, high porosity, and a microsctructure resembling that of cancellous bone. The traditional porous metal/coating includes fiber-metal mesh, cobalt-chromium (CoCr) beads, cancellous-structured titanium, and plasma spray. The article discusses other porous metal/coating due to the limitations of traditional porous metals for numerous open-cell-structured metals, such as titanium-base foams and trabecular metal.

This article reviews the bulk deformation processes for various aluminide and silicide intermetallic alloys with emphasis on the gamma titanium aluminide alloys. It summarizes the understanding of microstructure evolution and fracture behavior during thermomechanical processing of the gamma aluminides with particular reference to production scaleable techniques, including vacuum arc and cold-hearth melting, isothermal forging, conventional hot forging, and extrusion. The selection and design of manufacturing methods, in the context of processing-cost trade-offs for gamma titanium aluminide alloys, are also discussed.

Sand mold and permanent mold castings are the major methods for shape casting of steels, with production closely split among green sand, chemically bonded sand, and permanent mold processes. This article describes the steel solidification characteristics, melting practices, melt treatment, and feeding of the molten steel into the mold used in steel foundries. It discusses the features of the melting furnaces used in direct arc melting, induction melting, and boiling. The article describes the sand casting and permanent mold casting of steel. The process design and castings of thin sections are also discussed.

This article discusses the most common methods of melting steels, namely, electric arc and induction melting. It describes the classification of refractories by an index of the “basicity” of the slag formed on the steel surface. The steel melt refinements are classified as treatments by either converter metallurgy or ladle metallurgy. The article provides a detailed discussion on the converter and ladle metallurgy. The converter metallurgy includes melt refinement in argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) vessels and vacuum oxygen decarburization (VODC) in a converter vessel. The ladle metallurgy includes vacuum induction degassing, vacuum oxygen decarburization, and vacuum ladle degassing.

The melting process often includes refining and treating the metal. The choice of which type of melting to use depends on a number of factors: type of alloy being melted, the local cost of electric power, and local environmental regulations. This article discusses the principles, furnace types, charging practices of metal melting methods, namely induction melting, cupola melting, arc melting, crucible melting, reaction melting, and vacuum melting, and the refractories and charging practice of reverberatory furnaces. Molten metal treatment of steels and aluminum also is discussed in the article.

Nontraditional finishing processes include electrochemical machining (ECM), electrodischarge machining (EDM), and laser beam machining. These processes belong to nonabrasive finishing methods where surface generation occurs with an insignificant amount of mechanical interaction between the processing tool and the workpiece surfaces. This article provides information on the equipment used, applications, process capabilities, and limitations of ECM and EDM.

Ceramics usually require some form of machining prior to use to meet dimensional and surface quality standards. This article focuses on abrasive machining, particularly grinding, and addresses common methods and critical process factors. It covers cylindrical, centerless, and disk grinding and provides information on tooling, wheel selection, work material, and operational factors. It also discusses precision slicing and slotting, lapping, honing, and polishing as well as abrasive waterjet, electrical discharge, laser, and ultrasonic machining.

This article discusses the characteristics, composition limits, and classification of wrought tool steels, namely high-speed steels, hot-work steels, cold-work steels, shock-resisting steels, low-alloy special-purpose steels, mold steels, water-hardening steels, powder metallurgy tool steels, and precision-cast tool steels. It describes the effects of surface treatments on the basic properties of tool steels, including hardness, resistance to wear, deformation, and toughness. The article provides information on fabrication characteristics of tool steels, including machinability, grindability, weldability, and hardenability, and presents a short note on machining allowances.

Fabrication of wrought stainless steels requires use of greater power, more frequent repair or replacement of processing equipment, and application of procedures to minimize or correct surface contamination because of its greater strength, hardness, ductility, work hardenability and corrosion resistance. This article provides a detailed account of such difficulties encountered in the fabrication of wrought stainless steel by forming, forging, cold working, machining, heat treating, and joining processes. Stainless steels are subjected to various heat treatments such as annealing, hardening, and stress relieving. Stainless steels are commonly joined by welding, brazing, and soldering. The article lists the procedures and precautions that should be instituted during welding to ensure optimum corrosion resistance and mechanical properties in the completed assembly.