The hardest requirements on a material are in general imposed at the surface: it has to be wear resistant for tools and bearings; corrosion resistant for turbine blades; antireflecting for solar cells; and it must combine several of these properties in other applications. `Surface engineering' is the general term that incorporates all the techniques by which a surface modification can be accomplished.
Better environmental sustainability and reduced life-cycle costs are important drivers in industry today. Surface engineering is a valuable tool in achieving both of these by facilitating optimal materials selection and innovative product design.