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Self-Lubricating PEO Coating on an Al Alloy Produced by Vacuum Impregnation Post-treatment

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Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters) Aims and scope

Abstract

The objective of this research was to develop a novel self-lubricating coating on an AA6061 aluminum alloy. Three coatings were prepared by the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process using 50-, 500-, and 1000-Hz pulsed direct current, respectively. The as-deposited coatings were then post-treated using two different methods, viz., ultrasonic vibration-aided vacuum oil impregnation (UVOI) and oil impregnation under ambient pressure (OIAP). After post-treatment, an oil-containing, self-lubricating top layer was formed on the coatings. The effects of the coatings’ surface morphologies and structures on their oil-holding capabilities were discussed. The results revealed that coatings prepared with higher frequency had a greater oil-holding capacity using OIAP post-treatment, while those prepared with lower frequency had a greater oil-containing capability using UVOI post-treatment. These phenomena are related to the morphologies of the coatings produced with various current modes. The tribological properties of the coatings before and after post-treatments were investigated by pin-on-disc sliding wear tests. Due to the formation of a lubricant-containing top layer, the post-treatment coatings had a lower friction coefficient and improved wear resistance compared with the as-deposited coatings. In addition, the coatings after UVOI treatment had better wear performance than those post-treated using the OIAP process. Among all coatings, the coating produced with a 50-Hz pulsed current followed by UVOI post-treatment achieved the lowest friction coefficient (0.03) and best wear resistance when sliding against a Si3N4 ceramic counterface. This study indicates that a novel self-lubricating coating can be prepared by a PEO process combined with vacuum oil impregnation post-treatment.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51301153) and the National Undergraduate Training Programs for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of China (201410345022).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Ling Hong & Shu-Gen Hu

  2. Zhejiang Wanliyang Transmission Co., Ltd., Jinhua, 321025, China

    Dong Wang

  3. College of Engineering, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, China

    Guang-Dong Bian & Lin-Lin Wang

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  1. Ling Hong
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  2. Dong Wang
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  3. Guang-Dong Bian
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  4. Lin-Lin Wang
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  5. Shu-Gen Hu
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Correspondence to Shu-Gen Hu.

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Available online at http://link.springer.com/journal/40195

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Hong, L., Wang, D., Bian, GD. et al. Self-Lubricating PEO Coating on an Al Alloy Produced by Vacuum Impregnation Post-treatment. Acta Metall. Sin. (Engl. Lett.) 28, 965–974 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40195-015-0280-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40195-015-0280-2

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