By Dr Jamil Baghdachi. Coatings can have functionality beyond their protection and decoration of substrates. Functional coatings additionally offer a variety of smart behaviours and value-adding performance to a surface. This overview explains the underlying physical and/or chemical processes for a few key types. Traditionally, the primary functions of coatings are to protect and decorate substrates. More recently, growth has occurred in the research and development, as well as commercialisation, of coatings which have novel functions in addition to having traditional protection and decoration properties. These ...