Open Access Conference Proceedings

This study developed how the changing of distance between electrodes in the anodizing process affects the surface morphology and mechanical properties of oxide coatings. Oxide coatings were prepared on aluminum alloy samples. The samples surfaces were subjected to hard anodizing process in a multicomponent electrolyte based on sulphuric acid with an addition of organic acids. Anodizing was carried out with a constant electric charge density and constant electrolyte temperature. The distances between the electrodes for subsequent samples increased. The pictures of the oxide coatings surfaces were collected by scanning microscope. The ImageJ software was used to analyze the nanomorphology of the coatings. The thickness and microhardness of the oxide coatings was determined by contact and Vickers method respectively. The geometrical structure of the surfaces of oxide coatings was determined by contact profilograph. Based on the conducted tests, it can be concluded that changing of parameters during the anodizing process influence on the surface morphology and microhardness of the oxide layers. The tests have shown that with the changing of the distance between the electrodes, the nanoporosity has changed.

Keywords: Aluminum oxide coatings, anodizing process, nanomorphology

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