Corrosion and Wear Protection through Micro Arc Oxidation Coatings in Aluminum and Its Alloys

This article presents the brief overview of fairly recent and eco-friendly micro arc oxidation (MAO) coating technology. The weight-cost-performance benefits in general raised the interest to utilize lightweight materials, especially the aluminum and its alloys. Despite numerous engineering advantages, the aluminum alloys themselves do not possess suitable tribology and corrosion resistance. Therefore, improvements in surface properties are essential to enable developing potential industrial applications. For improving wear and corrosion resistance of Al alloys, the most demanding surface properties are high hardness and chemical inertness. The technical and technological limitations associated with traditional anodizing and hard anodizing processes have been the strongest driving force behind the development of new MAO technology. While presenting the key technological elements associated with the MAO process, the basic mechanism of coating formation and its phase gradient nature is presented. Influence of various process parameters including the electrolyte composition has been discussed. The typical microstructural features and distribution of α- and γ-Al2O3 phases across the coating thickness as a key strategy to form dense coatings with required mechanical, tribological, and corrosion properties which are vital to meet potential application demands are briefly illustrated.