Abrasive wear/corrosion properties and TEM analysis of Al2O3 coatings fabricated using plasma electrolysis

Alumina coatings were deposited on Al alloy substrates using an electrolytic plasma technique, based on a dielectric barrier discharge created during anodic oxidation in an aqueous electrolyte. The substrate material (BS Al 6082) was biased anodically with an unbalanced AC high voltage. During processing, a plasma current density of 100 mA/cm² was used, at which a coating deposition rate of 1.67 μm/min was achieved. Coating abrasive wear and corrosion properties were assessed by conducting dry and wet rubber wheel abrasive tests and potentiodynamic polarization experiments, respectively. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to investigate the coating microstructure, and the coating/substrate interface. The property test results show that the coatings possess excellent abrasive wear and corrosion resistance. XRD analyses indicate that the coatings consist of α- and γ-Al₂O₃. An amorphous+nanocrystalline inner layer (1.5-μm thick) and a nanocrystalline (50–60 nm) intermediate layer in the coating were observed by TEM. The higher resistance to wear and corrosion can in part be attributed to the presence of these interlayers.