Effect of the Atmosphere on the Properties of Aluminum Anodizing

Abstract

This study aims to quantify the effect of process parameters on the anodizing of Al6061 aluminum. To achieve this, studies on layer thickness, the porosity of the anodized surface, electrochemical techniques, X-ray diffraction, grain size estimation, and statistical analysis were conducted for three different atmospheres (without air, air, and oxygen). Parameter levels were established as follows: temperature (30 °C, 45 °C, and 60 °C), time (20 min, 40 min, and 60 min), electrolyte concentration (0.5 M), voltage (9 V), and current intensity (0.600 A). A 33 experimental design (three factors, three levels) was proposed, and mathematical models were obtained using general factorial design. The experimental design was used to determine the three most important variables in the optimal condition. A total of 27 tests were conducted using sulfuric acid electrolytic solutions, of which 12 samples were selected by the factorial design method, which simultaneously evaluates the effects of factors and their interactions in a single experiment. Measurement of porosity and oxide layer thickness was performed using scanning electron microscopy. The purity of the anodic layer formed was characterized using X-ray diffraction techniques with a vertical goniometer X-ray diffractometer. The electrochemical behavior is presented through potentiodynamic polarization curves for the anodic layer. A general factorial design and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to establish the significant factors for layer thickness, grain size, and reaction rate. Finally, the best results and their parameters for each response are presented.