Anodizing Processes for the Production of Advanced Functional Coatings

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Characterization, Deposition and Modification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 45146

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: growth and breakdown of anodic oxide films; characterization of corrosion layers and passive films; PEO coatings; conversion coatings; electronic properties of semiconducting and insulating oxides; photoelectrochemistry; polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells
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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: anodizing; electrodeposition processes; electropolymerization; physico-chemical characterization of passive films and corrosion layers; photoelectrochemistry; polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: anodizing and anodic thin films; dieletrics; ion-exchange membranes; photoelectrochemistry; polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells; resistive switching; reverse electrodialysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, surface engineering has played an important role in technological applications for automotive, aerospace, biomedical, electronic, and chemical industries with the aim to modify and improve the surface properties of materials for protection in hard contact conditions or in contact with aggressive environments, or for specific functional performance.

Among the techniques currently used for coatings fabrication, one of the most effective is anodizing, i.e., an electrochemical oxidation process that allows the formation on the surface of metals and metal alloys of oxide layers of tuneable composition, properties, microstructure, and morphology. The properties of these oxide layers are affected by process parameters such as applied voltage, applied current, bath composition, bath temperature, etc.

The scope of this Special Issue will cover several aspects relating to anodizing processes of metal such as Al, Mg, Ti, Zr, and their alloys, with a special interest in the following themes:

- Anodizing mechanism;

- Theoretical modelling of anodic film growth;

- Barrier and porous anodic films;

- Post anodizing processes (e.g., sealing, coloring);

- Corrosion behavior of anodic films;

- Electronic properties of anodic films;

- Hard anodizing, micro arc oxidation and plasma electrolytic oxidation;

- Anodic films for advanced biomedical, electronic, and aerospace applications.

Prof. Dr. Monica Santamaria
Dr. Francesco Di Franco
Dr. Andrea Zaffora
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anodizing
  • anodic films
  • PEO
  • MAO
  • corrosion protection
  • electronic properties
  • sealing
  • coloring
  • barrier films
  • porous films

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 50563 KiB  
Article
Systematic Investigation of Silicon Content Effects on the PEO Coatings’ Properties on Al–Si Binary Alloys in Silicate-Based and Tungstate-Containing Electrolytes
by Masoud Moshrefifar, Hadi Ebrahimifar and Amin Hakimizad
Coatings 2022, 12(10), 1438; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12101438 - 30 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1586
Abstract
The present study evaluates the effect of a substrate’s silicon content on the coatings’ morphology, structure, and properties in an electrolyte containing sodium tungstate on Al–xSi alloys. The PEO-coated samples demonstrated the structure of the pancake and crater with irregular micro-cracks and micro-pores. [...] Read more.
The present study evaluates the effect of a substrate’s silicon content on the coatings’ morphology, structure, and properties in an electrolyte containing sodium tungstate on Al–xSi alloys. The PEO-coated samples demonstrated the structure of the pancake and crater with irregular micro-cracks and micro-pores. The incorporation of the element W in the coatings decreased the surface roughness and porosity due to increasing the electrolyte conductivity and, hence, decreasing the breakdown voltage and intensity of micro-discharges. The friction coefficient of all the coatings stayed constant during the wear test due to the contact of the ball with the inner layer with less porosity and higher micro-hardness. The track depth to the thickness ratio of the coatings was found to be 0.60–0.75 for those without additive coatings and 0.55–0.65 for those with additive coatings. As a result, the higher wear rates, volume losses, track widths, and depths in the specimens with a lower silicon content of the substrate were found due to the greater thickness of the coating and the outer sublayer for both specimens with and without Na2WO4. The coatings formed using the W-containing electrolyte showed a higher micro-hardness and a lower wear rate in comparison with the coatings produced in the silicate-based electrolyte. Full article
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21 pages, 8956 KiB  
Article
Silicate and Hydroxide Concentration Influencing the Properties of Composite Al2O3-TiO2 PEO Coatings on AA7075 Alloy
by Mehri Hashemzadeh, Keyvan Raeissi, Fakhreddin Ashrafizadeh, Amin Hakimizad, Monica Santamaria and Thomas Lampke
Coatings 2022, 12(1), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12010033 - 28 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1560
Abstract
This work evaluates the effect of sodium meta-silicate pentahydrate (SMS) and potassium hydroxide concentrations on properties of Al2O3-TiO2 coatings produced through plasma electrolytic oxidation in a solution containing 3 g L−1 potassium titanyl oxalate, (PTO), using a [...] Read more.
This work evaluates the effect of sodium meta-silicate pentahydrate (SMS) and potassium hydroxide concentrations on properties of Al2O3-TiO2 coatings produced through plasma electrolytic oxidation in a solution containing 3 g L−1 potassium titanyl oxalate, (PTO), using a unipolar waveform with constant current density. The surface and cross-section characteristics of PEO coatings including morphology, elemental distribution, and phase composition were evaluated using FESEM, EDS, and XRD techniques. Voltage-time response indicated the concentration of SMS and KOH had a significant effect on the duration of each stage of the PEO process. More cracks and pores were formed at the higher concentrated solutions that resulted in the incorporation of solution components especially Si into the coating inner parts. Ti is distributed throughout the coatings, but it had a dominant distribution in the Si-rich areas. The coating prepared in the electrolyte containing no silicate consisted of non-stoichiometric γ-Al2O3 and/or amorphous Al2O3 phase. Adding silicate into the coating electrolyte resulted in the appearance of α-Al2O3 besides the dominant phase of γ-Al2O3. The corrosion behaviour of the coatings was investigated using the EIS technique. It was found that the coating prepared in the presence of 3 g L−1 SMS and 2 g L−1 KOH, possessed the highest barrier resistance (~10 MΩ cm2), owing to a more compact outer layer, thicker inner layer along with appropriate dielectric property because this layer lacks the Si element. It was discovered that the incorporation of Ti4+ and especially Si4+ in the coating makes the dielectric loss in the coating. Full article
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12 pages, 7146 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Dark-Colored Nanoporous Anodic Films on Zinc
by Ryoya Masuda, Damian Kowalski, Sho Kitano, Yoshitaka Aoki, Taisuke Nozawa and Hiroki Habazaki
Coatings 2020, 10(11), 1014; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10111014 - 22 Oct 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2826
Abstract
In this study, zinc is anodized at different voltages in 0.1 mol·dm−3 KOH electrolyte to form nanoporous anodic films. Dark-colored anodic films are formed at anodizing voltages ≤6 V, whereas colorless anodic films are developed at voltages ≥7 V. The anodic films [...] Read more.
In this study, zinc is anodized at different voltages in 0.1 mol·dm−3 KOH electrolyte to form nanoporous anodic films. Dark-colored anodic films are formed at anodizing voltages ≤6 V, whereas colorless anodic films are developed at voltages ≥7 V. The anodic films formed at all voltages consist of crystalline ZnO, which was identified by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The Raman spectra of the dark-colored anodic films show the enhanced intensity of the LO phonon mode due to electric-field-induced Raman scattering, which may be associated with the presence of metallic Zn nanoparticles in the anodic films. Scanning electron micrographs and transmission electron micrographs of the cross-section of the dark-colored anodized zinc reveal the formation of two-layer porous anodic films with a highly rough metal/film interface. In contrast, nanoporous anodic films of uniform thickness with a relatively flat metal/film interface are formed for the colorless anodized zinc. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis suggested the presence of zinc nanoparticles in the dark-colored anodic films. The non-uniform anodizing and the formation of metal-nanoparticle-dispersed porous anodic films cause the formation of dark-colored anodic films on zinc. Full article
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19 pages, 5958 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Electrolytic Solution Composition on the Structure, Corrosion, and Wear Resistance of PEO Coatings on AZ31 Magnesium Alloy
by Amirhossein Toulabifard, Maryam Rahmati, Keyvan Raeissi, Amin Hakimizad and Monica Santamaria
Coatings 2020, 10(10), 937; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10100937 - 30 Sep 2020
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 3644
Abstract
Plasma electrolytic oxidation coatings were prepared in aluminate, phosphate, and silicate-based electrolytic solutions using a soft-sparking regime in a multi-frequency stepped process to compare the structure, corrosion, and wear characteristics of the obtained coatings on AZ31 magnesium alloy. The XRD results indicated that [...] Read more.
Plasma electrolytic oxidation coatings were prepared in aluminate, phosphate, and silicate-based electrolytic solutions using a soft-sparking regime in a multi-frequency stepped process to compare the structure, corrosion, and wear characteristics of the obtained coatings on AZ31 magnesium alloy. The XRD results indicated that all coatings consist of MgO and MgF2, while specific products such as Mg2SiO4, MgSiO3, Mg2P2O7, and MgAl2O4 were also present in specimens based on the selected solution. Surface morphology of the obtained coatings was strongly affected by the electrolyte composition. Aluminate-containing coating showed volcano-like, nodular particles and craters distributed over the surface. Phosphate-containing coating presented a sintering-crater structure, with non-uniform distributions of micro-pores and micro-cracks. Silicate-containing coating exhibited a scaffold surface involving a network of numerous micro-pores and oxide granules. The aluminate-treated sample offered the highest corrosion resistance and the minimum wear rate (5 × 10−5 mm3 N−1 m−1), owing to its compact structure containing solely 1.75% relative porosity, which is the lowest value in comparison with other samples. The silicate-treated sample was degraded faster in long-term corrosion and wear tests due to its porous structure, and with more delay in the phosphate-containing coating due to its larger thickness (30 µm). Full article
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23 pages, 6982 KiB  
Article
Immobilized Nano-TiO2 Photocatalysts for the Degradation of Three Organic Dyes in Single and Multi-Dye Solutions
by Umberto Bellè, Filippo Pelizzari, Andrea Lucotti, Chiara Castiglioni, Marco Ormellese, MariaPia Pedeferri and Maria Vittoria Diamanti
Coatings 2020, 10(10), 919; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10100919 - 25 Sep 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2639
Abstract
Heterogeneous photocatalysis with titanium dioxide (TiO2) is considered one of the most promising Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs). In order to solve issues related to catalyst recovery and possible agglomeration, which are typical of catalysts in nanoparticle form, self-organized nanotubular TiO2 [...] Read more.
Heterogeneous photocatalysis with titanium dioxide (TiO2) is considered one of the most promising Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs). In order to solve issues related to catalyst recovery and possible agglomeration, which are typical of catalysts in nanoparticle form, self-organized nanotubular TiO2 films directly immobilized on a metal substrate can be produced through anodization. In this study, a nanotubular anodic oxide was tested in the degradation of three organic dyes, namely Direct Red 80, Methylene Blue, and Rhodamine B, in single, binary, and ternary mixtures, to simulate industrial effluents with the co-presence of multiple dyes. To better understand the dyes’ behavior and possible interaction effects, spectrophotometry was used to analyze the degradation of each dye in the mixture. The zero-crossing first-order derivative approach and double divisor ratio spectra derivative method were used for the analysis of binary and ternary mixtures, respectively, to overcome quantification problems due to spectra overlapping. The photocatalytic system demonstrated good efficiency, supporting the use of nanotubular TiO2 as a photocatalyst for dye mixtures. Moreover, the interaction among dyes can actually affect, both positively and negatively, photodegradation kinetics, posing an issue in understanding the actual efficiency of the purification process as a function of the effluent composition. Full article
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14 pages, 4457 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Electrochemical Oxidation Behaviors and Mechanism of Single-Crystal Silicon (100) Wafer under Potentiostatic Mode
by Weijia Guo, Senthil Kumar Anantharajan, Kui Liu and Hui Deng
Coatings 2020, 10(6), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10060586 - 24 Jun 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3242
Abstract
Electrochemical oxidation (ECO) has been used widely to oxidize single crystal Si wafers. Aiming at optimizing the ECO assisted machining methods, the oxidation behaviors of single- crystal silicon (100) wafer under potentiostatic mode are experimentally investigated. It is shown that the Si wafer [...] Read more.
Electrochemical oxidation (ECO) has been used widely to oxidize single crystal Si wafers. Aiming at optimizing the ECO assisted machining methods, the oxidation behaviors of single- crystal silicon (100) wafer under potentiostatic mode are experimentally investigated. It is shown that the Si wafer can be electrochemically oxidized and the oxidized film thickness reaches to 239.6 nanometers in 20 min. The hardness of the oxidized surface is reduced by more than 50 percent of the original surface. The results indicate that the oxide thickness and the hardness can be controlled by changing the voltage. Based on the experimental findings, a hypothesis on the ECO mechanism under potentiostatic mode was proposed to explain the fluctuations of current density under specific applied voltage. The occurrence of the multiple peaks in the current density curve during the oxidation process is due to the formation of discharge channels, which was initiated from the defects at the interface between the oxide bottom and the substrate. This breaks the electrical isolation and leads to the discontinuous growth of the electrochemical oxide layer. The present work contributes to the fundamental understanding of the ECO behaviors for the single-crystal Si (100) wafer under potentiostatic mode. Full article
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Review

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32 pages, 6627 KiB  
Review
Passive Layers and Corrosion Resistance of Biomedical Ti-6Al-4V and β-Ti Alloys
by Patrizia Bocchetta, Liang-Yu Chen, Juliana Dias Corpa Tardelli, Andréa Cândido dos Reis, Facundo Almeraya-Calderón and Paola Leo
Coatings 2021, 11(5), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11050487 - 21 Apr 2021
Cited by 115 | Viewed by 10347
Abstract
The high specific strength, good corrosion resistance, and great biocompatibility make titanium and its alloys the ideal materials for biomedical metallic implants. Ti-6Al-4V alloy is the most employed in practical biomedical applications because of the excellent combination of strength, fracture toughness, and corrosion [...] Read more.
The high specific strength, good corrosion resistance, and great biocompatibility make titanium and its alloys the ideal materials for biomedical metallic implants. Ti-6Al-4V alloy is the most employed in practical biomedical applications because of the excellent combination of strength, fracture toughness, and corrosion resistance. However, recent studies have demonstrated some limits in biocompatibility due to the presence of toxic Al and V. Consequently, scientific literature has reported novel biomedical β-Ti alloys containing biocompatible β-stabilizers (such as Mo, Ta, and Zr) studying the possibility to obtain similar performances to the Ti-6Al-4V alloys. The aim of this review is to highlight the corrosion resistance of the passive layers on biomedical Ti-6Al-4V and β-type Ti alloys in the human body environment by reviewing relevant literature research contributions. The discussion is focused on all those factors that influence the performance of the passive layer at the surface of the alloy subjected to electrochemical corrosion, among which the alloy composition, the method selected to grow the oxide coating, and the physicochemical conditions of the body fluid are the most significant. Full article
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30 pages, 5551 KiB  
Review
A Review on Anodizing of Aerospace Aluminum Alloys for Corrosion Protection
by Mariana Paz Martínez-Viademonte, Shoshan T. Abrahami, Theodor Hack, Malte Burchardt and Herman Terryn
Coatings 2020, 10(11), 1106; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10111106 - 18 Nov 2020
Cited by 110 | Viewed by 18067
Abstract
Aluminum alloys used for aerospace applications provide good strength to weight ratio at a reasonable cost but exhibit only limited corrosion resistance. Therefore, a durable and effective corrosion protection system is required to fulfil structural integrity. Typically, an aerospace corrosion protection system consists [...] Read more.
Aluminum alloys used for aerospace applications provide good strength to weight ratio at a reasonable cost but exhibit only limited corrosion resistance. Therefore, a durable and effective corrosion protection system is required to fulfil structural integrity. Typically, an aerospace corrosion protection system consists of a multi-layered scheme employing an anodic oxide with good barrier properties and a porous surface, a corrosion inhibited organic primer, and an organic topcoat. The present review covers published research on the anodic oxide protection layer principles and requirements for aerospace application, the effect of the anodizing process parameters, as well as the importance of process steps taking place before and after anodizing. Moreover, the challenges of chromic acid anodizing (CAA) substitution are discussed and tartaric-sulfuric acid anodizing (TSA) is especially highlighted among the environmentally friendly alternatives. Full article
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