Characterization of Ceramic Oxide Thin Film Formed on Al Alloy by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation Technique in TiO2 Nanoparticle Suspension

We investigated the effects of TiO2 nanoparticle addition (0.5 similar to 4 g/L) on ceramic oxide thin film fabricated by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technique. It was found that the TiO2 nanoparticle could be effectively incorporated into ceramic oxide layer during PEO process. Microstructural observation for the resulting coatings confirmed the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles all over the cross-section of the coating, especially in the vicinity of the interfacial region between the substrate and coating. It was revealed that the electrochemical characteristics of PEO coatings incorporated with TiO2 nanoparticles could be deteriorated, suggesting that a proper control of TiO2 concentration in the electrolyte is important for PEO process using TiO2 nanoparticle suspension.