Aluminum Surface Research Articles

Characterization of RF-Sputtered ZnO Thin Film Coatings on Aluminum (Al6061): Microstructure, Wettability, Cavitation, and Corrosion Analysis

The study focuses on the characterization of Aluminum (Al-6061) coated with RF-sputtered Zinc Oxide (ZnO) thin film, aiming to understand the complex interactions between microstructure, wettability, cavitation resistance, and corrosion performance. The study involves the use of various analytical techniques such as Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The cavitation erosion testing has been conducted under various factors namely jet velocity (m/s), impingement angle (°), and stand-off distance (cm), respectively, and that too at various levels. Further, with the use of RSM, the study also contributes to the interplay in between factors and acquiring optimized results. Moreover, the findings of the study provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the ZnO coating in enhancing corrosion resistance and reducing mass loss due to cavitation erosion. The study’s results offer significant implications for the engineering and design of protective coatings for Aluminum surfaces, with the potential to enhance durability and performance in various industrial applications.

Durable Superhydrophobic Aluminum Surfaces against Immersion and Hot Steam Impact: A Comparative Evaluation of Different Hydrophobization Methods and Coatings

Controlling the wettability properties of metallic materials and surfaces can enhance their applicability and improve their performance and durability in several fields, such as corrosion protection, heat transfer applications, self-cleaning, and friction reduction. Here, we present and compare some versatile fabrication methods that can provide aluminum surfaces with durable superhydrophobic performance which are suitable for heat transfer applications. To probe their stability in heat transfer applications, two evaluation protocols are designed, one which suggests immersion in hot water for several hours, and a second testing against the harsh conditions of hot steam impact. The superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces are fabricated by first creating micro or micro-nano roughness on an initially flat surface, followed by the minimization of its surface energy through two hydrophobization methods, one wet and one dry, thus creating a series of different coating materials. Surfaces are then evaluated by immersing them in hot water and exposing them to steam impact. It is demonstrated that despite the fact that all hydrophobization methods tested resulted in surfaces exhibiting superhydrophobic properties, only the ultra-thin Teflon-like coating, obtained after plasma deposition using C4F8 plasma, exhibited robust superhydrophobicity with hysteresis lower than 8° when immersed in water at 90 °C for 10 h. This surface also showed minimal wettability changes and was the only one to retain its hysteresis below 6° after 4 h of exposure to hot steam.

Surface Defect Detection for Aerospace Aluminum Profiles with Attention Mechanism and Multi-Scale Features

A YOLOv5 aluminum profile defect detection algorithm that integrates attention and multi-scale features is proposed in this paper to address the issues of the low detection accuracy, high false detection rates, and high missed detection rates that are caused by the large-scale variation of surface defects, inconspicuous small defect characteristics, and a lack of concentrated feature information in defect areas. Firstly, an improved CBAM (Channel-Wise Attention Module) convolutional attention module is employed, which effectively focuses on the feature information of defect areas in the aluminum defect dataset with only a small amount of spatial dimension. Secondly, a bidirectional weighted feature fusion network is utilized, incorporating a multi-scale feature fusion network with skip connections to aggregate various high-resolution features, thus enriching the semantic expression of features. Then, new size feature maps that have not been fused are introduced into the detection layer network to improve the detection effect of small target defects. Experimental results indicate that an average detection accuracy (mAP) of 82.6% was achieved by the improved YOLOv5 algorithm on the aluminum surface defect dataset. An improvement of 6.2% over the previous version was observed. The current defect detection requirements of aluminum profile production sites are met by this enhanced algorithm.

MAF process for aluminum 6060: An analytical temperature modelling and chemo-mechanical analysis

The magnetic abrasive finishing process is a sophisticated micro-finishing process that enhances the surface quality of superalloys, ceramics, and composites. Surface temperature plays a pivotal role in facilitating chemo-mechanical reactions between the processed surface and abrasive particles. In triggering the chemo-mechanical response of the micro-finished surface of Aluminum 6060 (Al-6060), an analytical thermal model derived using Jaeger moving heat formulation to find the flash temperature (FT) and flash time duration (FTD) at the micro-finishing interface of the processed workpiece and the abrasive particles of the magnetic abrasive brush. Furthermore, the present work performed an RSM-based Box Behnken design experiment to analyse and explain the crucial role of machining gap, abrasive weight, Voltage, and rotational speed on surface temperature, machining surface, and hardness. ANOVA highlighted key factors in machining responses. Surface roughness and temperature were notably influenced by voltage (58.42 % and 57.62 %, respectively), while surface hardness primarily depended on abrasive weight (60.65 %). Using the developed model, extreme FT of 880 °C and 810 °C were calculated under specific conditions, along with corresponding FTD required for quasi-steady-state conditions. FT and FTD were identified as sufficient for initiating chemo-mechanical action in the MAF micro-finishing process, depending on contact pressure, the number of abrasive particles, and sliding velocity, which in turn are influenced by magnetic intensity, abrasive ratio, and rotational speed. Furthermore, a detailed examination of the finished surface was carried out using the SEM, EDS and XRD of Al-6060 which shows that the SiC does participate on the finishing surface. Chemical substrates such as Kaolinite (Al2O9Si2), Iron silicide (FeSi), and Cristobalite (O2Si) had formed on the finished surface of Al-6060 due to the chemo-mechanical action between the SiC and workpiece material.

Vanadyl Porphyrin: Efficient Spin Probe to Study the Alumina Surface of Supported Catalysts

Vanadyl Porphyrin: Efficient Spin Probe to Study the Alumina Surface of Supported Catalysts

Wetting State Transition of Laser Direct Writing Aluminum Surface Based on Coupling Effect of Micro/Nanoscale Characteristics.

Micro/nanostructured metal surfaces fabricated by laser direct writing (LDW) have been widely used in wettability-related fields. Previous studies focused on the effects of surface structural patterns or chemical composition on wettability, while the coupling mechanism and respective contributions of the two are not distinct. This paper reveals the coupling effect of micro/nanoscale characteristics on the wettability of LDW aluminum surfaces and elucidates the transition mechanism between wetting states on the surfaces with linear laser energy density. Through the contact angle experiments, a wetting state transition of the LDW surface is found from a more hydrophilic than pristine rose petal effect to lotus effect. Based on the bionic analysis method of the superhydrophobicity factors of lotus leaves, the contributions to the wettability of LDW surfaces are divided into the micro/nanoscale characteristics. The theoretical model for identifying the wetting state of a rough surface is proposed. Based on this model, the average Young's contact angle, θ̅Y, is calculated, which indicates the contribution of the nanoscale characteristics. During the transition process from rose petal effect to lotus effect, θ̅Y > 90° is a necessary condition for detachment from the rose petal effect, which is contributed by the high specific surface organic adsorption at the nanoscale. What is more, the wetting state determined by the microscale characteristics further enhances its hydrophobicity, leading to the lotus effect. Based on the wetting state identification model and the Cassie-Baxter equation, the change of micro/nanoscale characteristics on aluminum surfaces after LDW treatment is presented, and the influence of micro/nanoscale characteristics on the wetting state is decoupled and quantified. This research helps to coordinate the effects of surface structure and chemical composition on wettability in the design of specific wettability functional surfaces and can also be applied to other high heat density surface processing fields.

Evaluation of aluminum surface factors affecting the adhesive strength of epoxy adhesives

Evaluation of aluminum surface factors affecting the adhesive strength of epoxy adhesives

High-performance and robust biomimetic triboelectric nanogenerators for energy harvesting and self-powered wearable tactile sensing

High-performance and robust Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) with biomimetic micro-structured PDMS and nanostructured aluminum as main tribo-layers have been proposed. Leaf of Calathea Zebrina plant is used as a mold to prepare PVA template which is further used to obtain micro-structured PDMS layer whereas nanostructures on aluminum surface have been created by water-assisted oxidation process. Corresponding TENG assembled in vertical contact-separation mode produces VOC ∼430 V and ISC ∼45 μA with high power density of 8.89 W m−2. Excellent performance stability observed at least over 20,000 cycles and up to 120 days is another remarkable feature of the proposed TENG. Further, these TENGs are found highly viable as self-powered wearable tactile sensors for several hand and foot-based tactile activities, which can precisely record spatial and temporal details of the activity. Such TENG development strategies, which involve mimicking of natural micro-patterns have huge performance potential and may play an integral role to augment commercial prospects of TENGs in their wide application spectrum.

Development of Printed Pouch Film and Flexible Battery

This study investigates the properties of various adhesives and assesses the effects of the coating and drying conditions of aluminum surface treatment agents on adhesion strength and chemical resistance. The adhesion between aluminum and the polymer film is improved through the application of a surface treatment agent to the aluminum surface. This study examines the initial adhesive strength of a manufactured pouch film with respect to the drying temperature and time and evaluates its adhesive strength in the presence of moisture. The results indicate that the residual moisture on the aluminum surface weakens the adhesive strength and significantly affects electrolyte resistance. A noticeable reduction in strength was observed after water spraying, when the drying temperature and time were relatively low during the initial strength measurement. Among the adhesives used for aluminum and CPP lamination, olefin adhesives exhibit less susceptibility to electrolyte effects and have higher adhesive strengths compared to urethane and ester adhesives. Leveraging these characteristics, flexible pouch cells were manufactured and their stability was evaluated. The results confirm that the flexible cells demonstrate excellent stability, exhibiting potential for application in wearable devices.

Ultra-fast detection of pathogens and protein biomarkers using a low-cost silicon plasmonic biosensing platform

In this paper, we report, for the first time to our knowledge, a new versatile and future proof diagnostic platform for diverse applications and heterogeneous biological targets. This platform relies on a plasmonic-augmented silicon photonic biochip to detect bacteria and protein biomarkers within minutes. To demonstrate the potential of this platform in diverse applications, we demonstrate the detection of two heterogeneous targets, the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) and the molecule C-reactive protein (CRP) using a universal detection method. E. coli is one of the most commonly encountered bacterial pathogens involved in food monitoring, food born infections and water contamination applications, while CRP is a well-established disease severity indicator frequently used in common clinical practice. The biochip used is fully compatible with CMOS semiconductor manufacturing, while it hosts biosensors arrays for any combination of detection assays. Each biosensor exploits a 70 μm long aluminum plasmonic transducer within a silicon nitride waveguide-based Mach–Zehnder Interferometer. Each aluminum surface was silanized and biomodified with specific antibodies. Biosensing experiments revealed that CRP can be detected in diverse sample mediums, and E. coli detection was achieved in buffer at concentrations as low as 10 cells/ml within 13–25 min. The results are in good agreement with preceding numerical simulations. The modular nature of the reported biosensing platform makes it scalable and customizable, allowing nearly any combination of diagnostic tests targeting pathogens and proteins to be integrated on the same biochip for food quality monitoring, environmental monitoring, drug discovery and modern cell therapy manufacturing, or biomedical applications.

From Dataset Creation to Defect Detection: A Proposed Procedure for a Custom CNN Approach for Polishing Applications on Low-Performance PCs

This study focuses on training a custom, small Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) using a limited dataset through data augmentation that is aimed at developing weights for subsequent fine-tuning on specific defects, namely improperly polished aluminum surfaces. The objective is to adapt the network for use in computationally restricted environments. The methodology involves using two computers—a low-performance PC for network creation and initial testing and a more powerful PC for network training using the Darknet framework—after which the network is transferred back to the initial low-performance PC. The results demonstrate that the custom lightweight network suited for a low-performance PC effectively performs object detection under the described conditions. These findings suggest that using tailored lightweight networks for recognizing specific types of defects is feasible and warrants further investigation to enhance the industrial defect detection processes in limited computational settings. This approach highlights the potential for deploying AI-driven quality control in environments with constrained hardware capabilities.

Measuring thermal conductivity using H2-O2 flame on ceramic films prepared by atmospheric chemical vapor deposition

Uneven micron-sized pores on the surface of the polycrystalline alumina (Al2O3) substrates can affect their performance as electrical insulating plates. In this study, we investigated the sealing of these pores with amorphous Al2O3 films deposited via atmospheric chemical vapor deposition. Furthermore, we conducted annealing treatments on the samples. The color change of the deposited Al2O3 films was investigated using the Commission Internationale de I’Eclairage color space. Notably, the deposited films initially changed the sample color from white to orange or brown. However, increasing the annealing temperature and duration reversed this discoloration effectively and restored the original white (colorless) appearance of the sample. We measured thermal conductivity using the flame flash method with the H2-O2 flame to assess the influence of sealing. While the unsealed substrate exhibited a thermal conductivity of 4.66 W/mK in the range of 400–500 °C, the annealed and flattened Al2O3 film deposited on the substrate maintained a comparable thermal conductivity of 4.67 W/mK within the same temperature range. This finding demonstrates that our sealing method successfully filled the pores while having minimal influence on thermal conductivity, which is a crucial property for electrical insulation applications.

The performance and mechanism of HCHO oxidation on Pt/Al2O3 catalysts: The effect of alumina crystalline phase and surface hydroxyls

The performance and mechanism of formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation on Pt/γ-Al2O3, Pt/θ-Al2O3 and Pt/α-Al2O3 catalysts were investigated, focusing on the impact of OH species, H2O participation and the difference in Pt sites. Characterization revealed that the catalytic performance of Pt/Al2O3 catalysts is predominantly influenced by surface OH rather than other factors. Through CO-TPR and 2D COS analysis, the existence and functions of Pt-OH and Al-OH were distinguished, along with the active and spectator formate species derived therefrom. The introduction of H2O promotes the regeneration of Pt-OH, as well as the migration of intermediate species, which explains the enhancement on catalytic performance under relative humidity. Meanwhile, the proportion of partially oxidized Pt/Pt-terrace/Pt-step would impact the ability of Pt-OH replenishment, further influencing the catalytic activity. These findings highlight the critical role of surface OH species and provide a deeper insight into understanding the OH-effected mechanism in HCHO oxidation.

Mycelium-metal hybrids: Exploring fabrication and application for reconfigurable design structures

Abstract Mycelium-bound composites (MBCs) are materials grown by fungi onto lignocellulosic substrates. MBCs are a low-cost, lightweight, valorised biomass with promising properties concerning acoustics, heat insulation and fire resistance, among others. These properties make MBCs interesting as a sustainable alternative to currently existing fossil-fuel-derived products. However, MBCs lack properties such as mechanical strength or other functional properties like electrical conductivity which could widen their range of applications. In this work, the mycelium from Pleurotus ostreatus is grown in presence of metals. First, a coating strategy is developed to grow the fungus on aluminium, copper, and stainless-steel surfaces. The coating is made of agar and cornstarch to provide nutrients for the fungus to grow. It is found that the mycelium can grow on all surfaces, even on anti-bacterial copper surface. Secondly, magnetic MBCs with 3D shapes are fabricated for making potential reconfigurable structures. For these composites, the fungus is exposed to lignocellulosic substrate and rare earth magnets. Using 3D printing to create 3D moulds to grow the composite, and by strategically placing the magnet, several structures are made. This approach is interesting for the future design and fabrication of reconfigurable panels for room partition, building thermal or insulation, or to replace plastics in toy products, among others.

Fabrication of Highly Adherent Aluminum Surface by Anodizing

Fabrication of Highly Adherent Aluminum Surface by Anodizing

The nature of the formation of adsorption layers on aluminum surfaces under the inhibitory protection by plant extracts

The paper studies how a corrosion inhibitor made of vegetable waste from food production - pomegranate peel - is adsorbed on the surface of aluminum. The mechanism of inhibitor action is largely driven by the fact that the active substances are chemisorbed on the metal surface and form a film that isolates this surface from the aggressive influence of the environment.

THE INFLUENCE OF ABUTMENT SURFACE TREATMENT ON PULL-OFF BOND STRENGTH BETWEEN (5)YTTRIA STABILIZED ZIRCONIA CROWN AND TITANIUM IMPLANT ABUTMENT

ABSTRACT Aim: The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of mechanical method and energetic method of surface treatments for Ti-abutment base (Ti-Base, Dentium/Korea) on the pull-off bond strength with (5)Y-TZP crown. Materials and Methods: : Forty titanium implant abutments were used in this study and randomly assigned to four groups (n = 10 for each group) according surface treatment methods of titanium abutment: group (1) act as control without surface treatment for Ti-abutment, group (2) bur surface treatment of Ti-abutment, group (3) sandblast (50-µm aluminum oxide) surface treatment for Ti-abutment, group (4) plasma surface treatment for Ti-abutment. Then, forty implant analogs were placed in the center of acrylic mold. After that abutment was tightened on the each analog with (35 N/cm) torque . Forty (5)Y-TZP crowns fabricated by CAD/CAM system that had special design with occlusal O-hole cemented to all abutments using Allcem dual-cure resin cement. All specimens were then subjected to thermos-cycling with (5000) cycles. With a universal testing machine record pull-off bond strength for all samples, Collected data were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance at a significance level of (p < 0.01) . Results:, The bur treated abutment (group 2) group showed the highest bond strength values, followed by sandblast treated abutment (group 3) and plasma treated abutment (group 4). Control group was the lowest value of tensile strength. Conclusion: Surface treatments of Ti-abutment had observed effect on pull-off (tensile bond strength) between Ti-abutment and (5)Y-TZP crown Bur and sandblast cause roughness of surface and increase bond strength , plasma cause reactive surface for increasing tensile bond strength.

Electron correlation effects in electron promotion processes during binary atomic collisions at solid surfaces

We report energy distributions of electrons emitted by Aluminum and Magnesium surfaces under the impact of singly charged neon ions with energies in the range 100–5000 eV, focusing on the Auger decay of electronic excitations produced during binary atomic collisions. The autoionization spectra of the projectiles show several peaks that are identified and assigned to specific collisional excitation processes. The data provide evidence for electron correlation effect that occur while the colliding atoms are still coupled in the quasi-molecular system and results in two-electron transitions.

Corrosion inhibition performance of RNC-n on aluminum alloy surface in alkaline solution

The corrosion inhibition behavior of glycine surfactants with different carbon chain lengths (RNC-n, n = 8, 12, 14) of AA2024-T3 aluminum alloy in 0.01 mol·L−1 NaOH solution was investigated. The weight loss and electrochemical methods, XPS, SEM/EDS techniques, quantum chemical calculations, and molecular dynamics simulations were used for studying the corrosion inhibition properties, adsorption behavior, and corrosion inhibition mechanism. When the maximum solubility of 0.01 mol·L−1 was achieved, the inhibition effectiveness of RNC-8 reached 90.55 %. Both RNC-12 and RNC-14 exhibited inhibitory efficiencies of 92.81 % at 0.005 mol·L−1 and 91.83 % at 0.0005 mol·L−1. RNC-n was shown to be an anodic corrosion inhibitor, since its impact on the anodic reaction was larger than on the cathodic one. RNC-n was able to successfully adsorb on the aluminum surface and form a protective film, which hindered further corrosion damage of the aluminum by the alkaline solution. In addition, the adsorption sites of RNC-n molecules were analyzed, and it was found that the adsorption sites of the corrosion inhibitor were mainly in the carboxyl group. Therefore, this paper can provide some theoretical support for the protection of aluminum alloys against corrosion in alkaline medium.

Superhydrophobic performance of aluminum textured with a picosecond laser

Aluminum is a common and light engineering metal with high strength, good processability, corrosion resistance, high electrical conductivity, and strong recyclability, properties that allow its wide use in different fields. Strengthening the surface properties of aluminum materials can not only enable aluminum materials to be applied to complex environments but also extend their service life. In this study, two kinds of micro–nano structures—unidirectional micro-grooves and grid micro-grooves—were prepared on the surface of 1060 aluminum using picosecond-laser direct etching, so that its surface can attain superhydrophobic properties and enhance its application performance. The effect of the scanning interval of picosecond laser on the hydrophobic performance was investigated, and the findings indicate that the hydrophobic properties are most effective by using scanning interval of 20 μm. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) analyses revealed the formation of a micro-nano structure resembling nanoflower particles on the laser-treated aluminum surface, which contributed to increased surface roughness. EDS analysis indicated an increase in carbon (C) content, likely due to the adsorption of organic molecules from the air, which further promoted hydrophobicity. X-ray diffraction spectrometry (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) provided insights into the surface chemistry and the presence of various elements and compounds. The superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces demonstrated remarkable stability and self-cleaning capabilities, desirable traits for many practical applications. This study provides a simple and rapid method for preparing superhydrophobic materials on aluminum surfaces and has potential practical application value.This innovation paves the way for the development of high-performance aluminum materials suitable for a wide range of environments and uses.