Microstructure and mechanical properties of ceramic coatings formed on 6063 aluminium alloy by micro-arc oxidation

The microstructure and mechanical properties of ceramic coatings formed on 6063 aluminium alloy obtained in silicate-,borate- and aluminate-based electrolyte without and with nanoadditive Al2O3 and TiO2 by micro-arc oxidation（MAO） were studied by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy（EDS）,X-ray diffraction（XRD）,microhardness and friction-abrasion tests,respectively.SEM results show that coatings with nanoadditive have less porosities than those without nanoadditive.XRD results reveal that nanoadditive-containing coatings contain more oxides compared with nanoadditive-free coatings in all cases,which are consistent with the EDS analysis.Mechanical properties tests show that nanoadditive Al2O3-containing coatings have higher microhardness values compared with the other coatings obtained in silicate-,borate- and aluminate-based electrolyte.On the other hand,nanoadditive has a positive effect on improving the wearing-resistance of MAO coatings in all cases.Furthermore,the borate-MAO coatings present an inferior anti-wearing property compared with the silicate- and aluminate-MAO coatings for both the nanoadditive-free and nanoadditive-containing coatings.

Optimizing the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) parameters to attain coatings with minimum porosity and maximum hardness on the friction stir welded AA6061 aluminium alloy welds

Micro-arc oxidation(MAO) technique is capable of producing dense oxide films on the aluminium alloy surface. This oxide film protects the aluminium alloy from the corrosion attack for longer duration.Empirical relationships were derived to evaluate the MAO coating properties(porosity and hardness) by incorporating very important MAO parameters(current density, inter-electrode distance and oxidation time). MAO parameters were also optimized to achieve coatings with minimum porosity and maximum hardness. Further, the effect of MAO parameters on coating characteristics was analysed. From the results, it is found that the current density has greater influence on the responses than the other two parameters.

Structure and tensile/wear properties of microarc oxidation ceramic coatings on aluminium alloy

Thick and hard ceramic coatings were prepared on the Al-Cu-Mg alloy by microarc oxidation in alkali-silicate electrolytic solution. The thickness and microhardness of the oxide coatings were measured. The influence of current density on the growth rate of the coating was examined. The microstructure and phase composition of the coatings were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Moreover, the tensile strength of the Al alloy before and after microarc oxidation treatment were tested, and the fractography and morphology of the oxide coatings were observed using scanning electron microscope. It is found that the current density considerably influences the growth rate of the microarc oxidation coatings. The oxide coating is mainly composed of α-Al2O3 and γ-Al2O3, while high content of Si is observed in the superficial layer of the coating. The cross-section microhardness of 120 μm thick coating reaches the maximum at distance of 35 μm from the substrate/coating interface. The tensile strength and elongation of the coated Al alloy significantly decrease with increasing coating thickness. The microarc oxidation coatings greatly improve the wear resistance of Al alloy, but have high friction coefficient which changes in the range of 0.70.8. Under grease lubricating, friction coefficient is only 0.15 and wear loss is less than 1/10 of the loss under dry friction.

Recent advances in energy efficient PEO processing of aluminium alloys

Plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)coatings developed under voltage-controlled mode on various commercial wrought,gravity cast and rheocast aluminium alloys were discussed with respect to enhancement of their tribological and corrosionperformance and minimization of the PEO energy consumption.It is demonstrated that use of conventional porous anodic filmprecursors reduces the PEO energy consumption by up to50%.The wear of6082alloy with PEO coatings with addedα-Al2O3particles is two times lower compared with electrolytic hard chrome.The long-term corrosion resistance of the PEO-coatedA356rheocast alloy is enhanced via use of a precursor and hydrophobic post-treatment.

Electrochemical anodic oxidation assisted fabrication of memristors

Owing to the advantages of simple structure,low power consumption and high-density integration,memristors or memristive devices are attracting increasing attention in the fields such as next generation non-volatile memories,neuromorphic computation and data encryption.However,the deposition of memristive films often requires expensive equipment,strict vacuum conditions,high energy consumption,and extended processing times.In contrast,electrochemical anodizing can produce metal oxide films quickly(e.g.10 s) under ambient conditions.By means of the anodizing technique,oxide films,oxide nanotubes,nanowires and nanodots can be fabricated to prepare memristors.Oxide film thickness,nanostructures,defect concentrations,etc,can be varied to regulate device performances by adjusting oxidation parameters such as voltage,current and time.Thus memristors fabricated by the anodic oxidation technique can achieve high device consistency,low variation,and ultrahigh yield rate.This article provides a comprehensive review of the research progress in the field of anodic oxidation assisted fabrication of memristors.Firstly,the principle of anodic oxidation is introduced;then,different types of memristors produced by anodic oxidation and their applications are presented;finally,features and challenges of anodic oxidation for memristor production are elaborated.

Effect of Negatively Charged Ions on the Formation of Microarc Oxidation Coating on 2024 Aluminium Alloy

The present study deals with the effect of negatively charged ions on the ceramic coating formation on 2024 aluminium alloy during microarc oxidation （MAO） process. On the basis of the experimental results, two steps （the formation of an incipient film without arc presence and the growth of a ceramic coating with arc discharge） of MAO process have been observed. For comparison, four different negatively charged ions studied. It is proved that negatively charged ions strongly participated in the formation of an incipient film with high impedance value at the first step. The growth of ceramic coating depends on the combination between AI of the substrate and O from the electrolyte, and the negatively charged ions are little consumed. As an anodic oxide coating is prepared on the sample surface instead of the incipient film, the first step occurs easily and the growth of ceramic coating is accelerated. Furthermore, the mechanism of negatively charged ions in the formation of the MAO coating has been proposed.

Printing on Anodized Aluminium Surface

Anodizing of aluminium is widely applied when a controllable morphology and properties of the surface are required. Anodic oxide films may be developed by appropriate selection of electrolyte and film-forming conditions for various applications in the fields of architecture, aerospace, electronics, packaging and printing. In the present study, the printability of aluminium with respect to anodizing conditions is discussed. In particular, AA1050 alloy specimens were anodized in either sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid at temperatures ranging from 10?C to 40?C, thereby affecting the porosity and anodic layer thickness. Both the porosity and oxide thickness increase with the temperature, whereas anodization in phosphoric acid produces thinner and more porous layer than that in sulfuric acid. After the anodization step, two different printing techniques were used (i.e. digital printing and screen printing). Printed specimens were characterized by means of colour parameters, microscopy, adhesion and light fastness test. Colour parameters and ink adhesion measurements indicate that both digital and screen printing techniques give a better print quality when the anodization step is conducted in the range of 20?C - 30?C.

Long-term deterioration of lubricant-infused nanoporous anodic aluminium oxide surface immersed in NaCl solution

This study investigated the deterioration of a lubricant-infused anodic aluminium oxide surface in a 1M NaCl solution for~200 days.Direct observation by cryo-SEM and quantitative analyses by UV spectroscopy and EIS revealed that the long-term deterioration of the lubricant-infused surface was divided into two stages:the surface-adhered lubricant layer gradually dissolved at a constant rate until the substrate was exposed;afterwards the lubricant infused in the nanochannels began to diffuse and was depleted after~200 days.The EIS results also revealed that the defects reduced the corrosion resistance of the lubricant-infused surface considerably.

Wear and corrosion resistant coatings on surface of cast A356 aluminum alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation in moderately concentrated aluminate electrolytes

Plasma electrolytic oxidation of a cast A356 aluminum alloy was carried out in aluminate electrolytes to develop wear and corrosion resistant coatings. Different concentrations of 2, 16 and 24 g/L NaAlO2 solutions and a silicate electrolyte （for comparison） were employed for the investigation. Wear performance and corrosion resistance of the coatings were evaluated by WC （tungsten carbide） ball-on-flat dry sliding tests and electrochemical methods, respectively. The results show that the coating formed for a short duration of 480 s in 24 g/L NaAlO2 solution generated the best protection. The coating sustained 30 N load for sliding time of 1800 s, showing very low wear rate of -4.5×10^-7 mm3/（N· m）. A low corrosion current density of -8.81×10^-9 A/cm2 was also recorded. Despite low α-Al2O3 content of the coating, the compact and nearly single layer nature of the coating guaranteed the excellent performances.

Preparation and structure of microarc oxidation ceramic coatings containing ZrO2 grown on LY12 Al alloy

Ceramic coatings containing ZrO2 were prepared in situ on LY12 aluminum alloy by microarc oxidation（MAO） in the mixed solution of zirconate and phosphate solution.The phase composition and morphology of the coatings were studied by XRD and SEM,respectively.The growing mechanism of ceramic coatings was discussed in a preliminary manner.The results show that with an increase in MAO time,the compactness of the coating improved and the thickness increased.From the inner layer to the coating surface,the content of Zr increased,while the content of Al decreased.In addition,the coating was composed of m-ZrO2,t-ZrO2,and a little amount of γ-Al2O3.With an increase in reaction time,the relative content of t-ZrO2 within the coating sharply decreased while the relative content of m-ZrO2 sharply increased,and then both generally kept at a constant level after 60 min.

Anodic process on Cu-Al alloy in KF-AlF3-Al2O3 melts and suspensions

Anodic processes on Cu-10 Al electrode in molten KF-AlF3-Al2O3(saturated) and suspensions were characterized using chronopotentiometric and cyclic voltammetric techniques. Effects of cryolite ratio(CR= x(KF)/x(AlF3)), temperature and particle volume fraction(φ) on the electrochemical behaviour of the anode were demonstrated. Initially, the anode was polarised in the galvanostatic mode in melt and suspensions(φ=0.12, 0.15) at 750 ℃ with 0.4 A/cm^2 current density. The anode potential in melt varied between 2.5 and 3.2 V and in suspensions(φ= 0.12) between 3.3 and 3.4 V. XRD analysis was conducted to study the oxide phases on the anode surface. Anode limiting current densities and mass transfer coefficients drastically decreased with the increase of φ in the suspension. The results suggest that the Cu-10 Al electrode works better in suspensions with CR of 1.4 and particle volume fraction of 0.09 at 800 ℃.

Corrosion resistance of micro-arc oxidized ceramic coating on cast hypereutectic alloy

The corrosion resistance of the micro-arc oxidation(MAO) ceramic coating on a cast Al-13Si-5Cu alloy was investigated using various electrochemical methods including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) and polarization curves.Microstructures of MAO ceramic coating were studied by SEM,and the influence of microscopic patterns on corrosion resistance was analyzed.The corrosion resistance of the aluminum alloy can be improved significantly by MAO process owing to increasing impedance and corrosion potential and decreasing corrosion current,and the ceramic coatings are composed of loose layer,compact layer and transition layer,which improve the corrosion resistance.The corrosin resistance is determined by the thickness of the compact layer and is not proportional to the total thickness of MAO,though the latter is one of the important factors influencing the corrosin resistance.

Electrical conductivity optimization of the Na3AlF6–Al2O3–Sm2O3 molten salts system for Al–Sm intermediate binary alloy production

Metal Sm has been widely used in making Al–Sm magnet alloy materials. Conventional distillation technology to produce Sm has the disadvantages of low productivity, high costs, and pollution generation. The objective of this study was to develop a molten salt electrolyte system to produce Al–Sm alloy directly, with focus on the electrical conductivity and optimal operating conditions to minimize the energy consumption. The continuously varying cell constant(CVCC) technique was used to measure the conductivity for the Na3AlF6–AlF3–LiF–MgF2–Al2O3–Sm2O3electrolysis medium in the temperature range from 905 to 1055°C. The temperature(t) and the addition of Al2O3(W(Al2O3)), Sm2O3(W(Sm2O3)), and a combination of Al2O3and Sm2O3into the basic fluoride system were examined with respect to their effects on the conductivity(κ) and activation energy. The experimental results showed that the molten electrolyte conductivity increases with increasing temperature(t) and decreases with the addition of Al2O3or Sm2O3or both. We concluded that the optimal operation conditions for Al–Sm intermediate alloy production in the Na3AlF6–AlF3–LiF–MgF2–Al2O3–Sm2O3system are W(Al2O3) + W(Sm2O3) = 3wt%, W(Al2O3):W(Sm2O3) = 7:3, and a temperature of 965 to 995°C, which results in satisfactory conductivity, low fluoride evaporation losses, and low energy consumption.

Effects of Anodizing Parameters in Tartaric-Sulphuric Acid on Coating Thickness and Corrosion Resistance of Al 2024 T3 Alloy

2024 T3 is one of aluminium alloys which are widely used in the aircraft structures. Anodizing of alluminium alloy in tartaric-sulphuric acid (TSA) electrolyte is developed to obtain more environmentally-friendly process and to produce anodize layer with better corrosion resistance. In this research work, the influences of anodizing parameters of Al 2024 T3 in TSA on the thickness, weight and corrosion resistance of the anodize layer are studied. Corrosion resistance test was carried out by conducting salt spray test for 336 hours and anodic polarization measurements using potentiostat. Results of three-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that the most influencing factor that determines the thickness and weight of the anodize layer is temperature, followed by applied voltage, duration of anodizing, voltage-temperature interaction, interaction of temperature-duration of anodizing, interaction of voltage-temperature-duration of anodizing, and interaction of voltage and duration of anodizing. The pit density and corrosion current density (icorr) were found to be dependent on the coating thickness. The anodize layer with a thickness of higher than 3 μm was not experienced to pitting corrosion during 336 hours of salt spray test.

Erosion Resistance Behaviours of H13 Steel to Molten ADC12 Alloy

H13 hot work steel samples and surface water vapor oxidized H13 samples were immersed into molten ADC 12 alloy under static resting or dynamic rotating conditions. Weigh-losing method was used to discover the influences of temperature, time and surface conditions on the erosion resistance of H13 steel. The interfaces between the steel and the molten alloy were studied with optical microscopy to compare the different erosion resistance behaviours. The results show that the composite layer outside of the compounds layers changes obviously with increasing temperature, lasting time or sample movement. The better erosion resistance of H13 steel can be endowed with the oxide films, which would gradually decrease along with the dissolve of the films.

Friction coefficient and microhardness of anodized aluminum alloys under different elaboration conditions

The effects of anodizing conditions （electrolyte, current density and temperature） on the friction coefficient and Vickers mierohardness of anodic oxide layers formed on A1 5754 and A1 1050A substrates were investigated. The studied properties were examined using DELTALAB HVS-1000 Vickers mierohardness tester and rotating pin on disc tribometer. It was established that the highest microhardness （〉HV 400） and the lowest friction coefficient （〈0.4） were obtained with the oxalic acid addition of 10 g/L at high current density of 3 A/dm2 and low temperature of 5 ~C. The presence of oxidized Mg through the anodic oxide layer formed on A1 5754 was examined using glow-discharge optical emission spectroscopy （GDOES）. The MgO was found to act negatively on the mechanical property of the layer. Finally, the scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDS）, and atomic force microscopy （AFM） were used to characterize the anodic layer before and after friction tests. It is found that the wear mechanism is related to many aspects of the initial morphology, chemical composition of the layer （C, S and Mg）, porosity and internal stress.

焊接方法对铝合金焊接接头微弧氧化色差的影响

目的分析铝合金焊接接头微弧氧化过程中色差产生的原因。方法采用单激光和激光-MIG复合焊2种焊接方法焊接2A12铝合金,利用RGB值定性描述不同焊接试样的色差差异大小,采用金相、SEM和微区XRD观察2A12铝合金单激光和激光-MIG复合焊接头微弧氧化前后的组织、微观形貌和表面物相组成。结果经微弧氧化处理后,2A12铝合单激光焊焊件的焊缝和母材之间无明显色差,2A12铝合金激光-MIG复合焊焊件的焊缝和母材之间存在明显色差,结合金相组织、表面和截面的SEM形貌以及表面EDS和XRD测试分析结果可知,成分和表面熔融物颗粒的大小不同是铝合金焊接接头微弧氧化色差形成的主要原因,焊接接头的组织对铝合金焊接接头微弧氧化色差的产生没有影响。结论单激光焊接接头微弧氧化后的氧化色差较激光-MIG复合焊接头的小;铝合金(2A12)焊接接头产生氧化色差主要是因为焊接接头的成分和表面熔融物颗粒大小不同,而组织对色差无影响。

基于COMSOL的7075铝合金微弧氧化时间及正向电压对氧化膜层的影响

研究了微弧氧化时间及正向电压对7075铝合金膜层厚度以及生长趋势的影响。以7075铝合金为研究对象,在多物理场仿真软件COMSOL Mutiphysics的帮助下建立铝合金成膜过程中的物理模型,基于有限元的方法求解出了微弧氧化成膜过程中的膜层厚度变化。仿真得到特定时间或者特定电压下的膜层厚度分布图,根据仿真结果绘制了电压-膜层厚度曲线、时间-膜层厚度曲线。由仿真结果可以看出:当正向电压分别为350、400、450 V时,膜层的最大厚度分别为38.804、50.150、61.496μm;当微弧氧化时间分别为15、25、35、45 min时,膜层的最大厚度分别为25.075、41.792、58.508、75.225μm,且膜层厚度均呈现由中间向两侧逐渐减小的现象。根据仿真结果可以得出以下结论:随着正向电压的升高,膜层厚度增大;随着氧化时间的增加,膜层的厚度也增加。在膜层厚度分布上,越靠近阴极的位置膜层越厚,远离阴极的位置膜层比较薄,且不同参数下膜层的最厚点与最薄点出现的位置不变。

Efficient concentration of trace analyte with ordered hotspot construction for a robust and sensitive SERS platform

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering(SERS)platform,which enables trace analyte detection,has important application prospects.By structuring/modifying the surface of the SERSsubstrate,analyte in highly diluted solutions can be concentrated into localized active areas for highly sensitive detection.However,subject to the difficulty of the fabrication process,itremains challenging to balance hot-spot construction and the concentration capacity of analyte simultaneously.Therefore,preparing SERS substrates with densely ordered hot spots andefficient concentration capacity is of great significance for highly sensitive detection.Herein,we propose an Ag and fluoroalkyl-modified hierarchical armour substrate(Ag/F-HA),which has a double-layer stacking design to combine analyte concentration with hotspot construction.The microarmour structure is fabricated by femtosecond-laser processing to serve as asuperhydrophobic and low-adhesive surface to concentrate analyte,while the anodic aluminium oxide(AAO)template creates a nanopillar array serving as dense and ordered hot spots.Under the synergistic action of hot spots and analyte concentration,Ag/F-HA achieves a detectionlimit down to 10^(-7)M doxorubicin(DOX)molecules with a RSD of 7.69%.Additionally,Ag/F-HA exhibits excellent robustness to resist external disturbances such as liquid splash or abrasion.Based on our strategy,SERS substrates with directional analyte concentrations are further explored by patterning microcone arrays with defects.This work opens a way to the realistic implementation of SERS in diverse scenarios.

Ag-CuO-NiO-LiAlSiO_(4)复合钎料空气反应钎焊GH3128/Al_(2)O_(3)接头组织及性能

以Ag-CuO-NiO-LiAlSiO_(4)复合钎料对GH3128高温合金与Al_(2)O_(3)陶瓷进行空气反应钎焊(RAB)连接,研究了NiO和LiAlSiO_(4)添加量对钎焊接头显微结构和力学性能的影响,分析了接头的界面微观结构及其形成机制。结果表明,钎焊过程中,GH3128合金表面生成了包括CuCrO_(4)内氧化层和NiO外氧化层的复合氧化反应层,Al_(2)O_(3)陶瓷表面生成了以CuAl_(2)O_(4)为主要成分的界面层。NiO的添加明显改善了复合钎料在合金侧的润湿性,而锂霞石(LiAlSiO_(4))的添加减小了钎缝与母材间的热失配,极大地改善了键合接头的连接性能。最终,使用含0.3%NiO(质量分数)和4%LiAlSiO_(4)(质量分数)的Ag-10%CuO复合钎料钎焊GH3128合金和Al_(2)O_(3)陶瓷,获得了61.8 MPa的最大剪切强度。此时,接头界面结构为GH3128/CuCrO_(4)+CrNi3+NiO+CuO/Ag+CuO+LiAlSiO_(4)/CuAl_(2)O_(4)/Al_(2)O_(3)。