Titanium carbide's effects on coatings formed on D16T aluminum alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation

Purpose The preferable concentration of titanium carbide was optimized and added as an additive to the micro-arc oxidation electrolyte to produce a high corrosion-resistant coating on D16T aluminum alloy. Design/methodology/approach Ceramic coatings were deposited on D16T aluminum alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation in alkaline silicate electrolytes with micron titanium carbide particle suspending at different concentrations. Influences of additive concentration on morphology, elemental and phase composition and corrosion resistance of doped PEO coatings were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical methods, respectively. Findings Results revealed that suspending titanium carbide additives incorporated into ceramic coatings through discharging channels and chemically transformed into amorphous stage. The content of titanium in the doped coatings increased with the increasing concentration of suspending micron additive. Compared with the coating without particle addition, the corrosion resistance of the coating produced in 8 g/L titanium carbide suspension increased more than 20 times. The result indicated that the incorporation of titanium into the PEO coatings formed on the D16T aluminum alloy could effectively improve the corrosion resistance. Originality/value The mechanism of corporation of TiC and the mechanism of improving the corrosion resistance of the coating were proposed.