Corrosion and Wear Behavior of PEO Coatings on D16T Aluminum Alloy with Different Concentrations of Graphene

Abstract

The effect of added graphene concentration on the microstructure, phase composition, corrosion- and wear- resistance of plasma electrolyte oxidation (PEO) coatings formed on D16T aluminum alloy in silicate electrolyte with different concentrations of graphene were investigated. The results show that the morphologies of the coatings with graphene were obviously different ascribed to the mode of graphene incorporated into the coating. The coatings consisted of mainly α-Al2O3, γ-Al2O3, and Al, which were divided into an outer porous layer and a dense inner layer. The thickness of the coatings increased non-linearly with graphene concentration. The corrosion resistance of the coatings with graphene was significantly improved. The wear resistance of the coatings was also greatly improved apart from the coating with 3 g/L graphene. The coating produced in the electrolyte with 2 g/L graphene exhibited the optimal comprehensive properties because graphene successfully incorporated into the coating via the pores and spread on the surface of the coating.