Tribological properties of aluminum alloy coated with graphene oxide/polyvinyl alcohol composites after micro-arc oxidation

Abstract

Purpose Aluminum alloy is considered an ideal material in aerospace, automobile and other fields because of its lightweight, high specific strength and easy processing. However, low hardness and strength of the surface of aluminum alloys are the main factors that limit their applications. The purpose of this study is to obtain a composite coating with high hardness and lubricating properties by applying GO–PVA over MAO coating. Design/methodology/approach A pulsed bipolar power supply was used as power supply to prepare the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating on 6061 aluminum sample. Then a graphene oxide-polyvinyl alcohol (GO–PVA) composite coating was prepared on MAO coating for subsequent experiments. Samples were characterized by Fourier infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The friction test is carried out by the relative movement of the copper ball and the aluminum disk on the friction tester. Findings Results showed that the friction coefficient of MAO samples was reduced by 80% after treated with GO–PVA composite film. Originality/value This research has made a certain contribution to the surface hardness and tribological issues involved in the lightweight design of aluminum alloys. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-12-2023-0427/