Effects of alloying elements on microstructure and protective properties of Al2O3 coatings formed on aluminum alloy substrates by plasma electrolysis

Hard alumina coatings were formed on three typical Al alloys using a plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process. The microstructure and protective behavior of the coatings were characterized in the context of the elements alloyed in the substrates. The substrates investigated were three commercial aluminum alloys (Al 6061, 2024, 7075) and various Al − x–Mg binary alloys with x = 0.6–4.6 wt.%. The major portion of all coating films consisted of a mixture of γ- and α-alumina on top of a very thin amorphous substrate-based layer. Examination of the coatings on the commercial alloys reveals that the ratio of α- to γ-alumina is inversely proportional to the total concentration of residual Mg, Cu, and Zn ions in the coatings. Additional experiments on Al − x–Mg binary alloy substrates suggest that Mg ions play the most important role in suppressing the transition of γ- to α-alumina. Our results suggest that Mg content ≥ 3 wt.% yields only the γ-alumina. We propose a mechanism that correlates the residual elements in the coatings to the alumina phase transition. A higher content of the dense α-alumina in the coatings yielded greater hardness as well as improved wear tolerance and crack resistance of the coating layers.