Evaluation of Mechanical Properties according to Anodized Coating Thickness of Aluminum Alloy for Phylon Molds

Phylon molds are widely used for injection molding of foams used in shoe outsoles. Injection pylon molds are usually prepared by first casting the aluminum alloy and then applying an anodized coating to improve durability. This study was carried out to examine the durability of aluminum phylon molds. The aluminum materials used in this study were A771, A6061, and AC4C, and their mechanical properties were compared. Specimens for anodic oxidation tests were prepared with coating thicknesses of approximately 10 and 40 μm . We tried to select the optimum material and coating thickness suitable for fabricating phylon injection molds. Among the three materials, A6061 exhibited the best tensile, wear, and impact properties. The difference in the wear resistance between the softand hard-anodized coatings was insignificant.