| Abstract: | In this investigation, protective layers were formed on aluminum substrate by Plasma Electrolytic Deposition (PED) using sodium silicate solution. The relation between the thickness of the layer and process time were studied. XRD, SEM, EDS were used to study the layer's structure, composition and micrograph. The results show that the deposited layers are amorphous and contain mainly oxygen, silicon, and aluminum. The possible formation mechanism of amorphous [Al-Si-O] layer was proposed: During discharge periods, A12O3 phase of the passive film and SiO32"near the substrate surface are sintered into xSiO2(l - x)Al2O, and then transformed into amorphous [Al-Si-O] phase. |
