Composition and mechanical properties of hard ceramic coating containing α-Al2O3 produced by microarc oxidation on Ti–6Al–4V alloy

Abstract Ceramic coatings with 1100–1600 HK50 g hardness were deposited on Ti–6Al–4V alloy substrates using a microarc oxidation (MAO) technique, based on a dielectric barrier discharge created during anodic oxidation in an aqueous electrolyte. The influences of electrolyte concentration, deposition time and the cathodic to anodic current ratio Ic/Ia on phase composition and mechanical properties of the coatings have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron probe microanalysis methods (EPMA), as well as microhardness measurement, direct pull-off and impact tests. The results show α-Al2O3 phase, which greatly improved the hardness of the coatings, can be obtained at high concentration of NaAlO2 and its relative content increases with decreasing Ic/Ia ratio. The direct pull-off test and impact test results indicate that the films have the excellent adhesion with the substrate.