Phosphate Conversion Coating – A Short Review

Phosphating is the process of depositing, by conversion, a layer of insoluble phosphate compounds, on the metal’s surface. Although phosphate coatings have been studied since the early nineteenth century, they are not only still being studied, but are an area of interest due to their many applications. The advantages of these types of coatings are well known, such as the low cost of the deposition process, the improvement of corrosion resistance properties, and the improvement of wear resistance and adhesion of further deposited layers such as paint. All this, leads to studies on the constant improvement of the properties of the phosphate coating, by modifying the parameters of the phosphating process, as well as by modifying/replacing the substances used in the phosphating solutions with “environmentally friendly” solutions. Also due to these advantages, several researchers are studying the possibility of using phosphate coatings in fields such as civil engineering or medicine (biomaterials coatings). This paper aims to present some essential aspects of phosphating and to bring to the fore the latest research on “eco-friendly” phosphating solutions and the possibility of using the phosphating process in other fields, such as the medical field. Also, the paper aims to discuss the possibility of eliminating/reducing the harmful effect that the use of phosphating has on the environment.