Effects of pore-channel ordering on the mechanical properties of anodic aluminum oxide nano-honeycombs

The mechanical properties of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nano-honeycombs with different spatial ordering of pore-channels are investigated by nanoindentation. The pore-channel ordering is systematically varied by carefully adjusting the orientation of the aluminum used for anodization. The results indicate that the strength of AAO structures increases significantly with the regularity of their pore-channel arrangement, whereas the elastic modulus is less sensitive to pore-channel regularity.