Influence of triangular texture composite MAO coating on the tribological properties of aluminum alloys

Abstract

To compensate for the poor friction and wear performance of aluminum alloys, in this study, four triangular textures with different area occupancy rate (5.16 %, 9.17 %, 20.63 % and 28.07 %) were prepared on the surface of aluminum alloys by laser texture technology, subsequently micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coatings were prepared using MAO technique. The treated samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction, micro-morphological analysis, optical profiler and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The tribological performance under oil lubrication conditions was tested by using a pin-disc contact rotational friction wear tester. The results showed that the sharp corners at the edges of the texture caused current concentration, which resulted in more intense sparking and accelerated MAO growth, thus creating more pores and roughening the surface of the coating. In terms of tribological performance, the triangular texture with 9.17 % area occupancy rate showed the best tribological performance before MAO coating, compared with the substrate, the average friction coefficient decreased by 64.11 %; and after the MAO coating was applied, the triangular texture composite MAO coating with 9.17 % area occupancy rate still had the best tribological performance, and its average friction coefficient further decreased compared with that of the smooth MAO coating by 33.07 %. The analysis suggests that the texture can store abrasive particles to prevent the MAO coatings from being worn through, leading to coating failure, while the hard MAO coatings can resist contact stresses well enough to prevent the texture from being flattened, leading to the failure of the function of storing abrasive debris. Therefore, the integration between texture and MAO coating can greatly enhance the anti-wear properties of aluminum alloys.