Effect of voltage on microstructure and corrosion resistance of microarc oxidation coatings on CP-Ti

Abstract

The surface modification of commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) by microarc oxidation (MAO) under different voltages was investigated using 1%H₃PO₄ solution as an electrolyte. The microstructure, phase composition and elemental distribution of ceramic coatings were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction. The corrosion behaviour of the coating was also examined by potentiodynamic polarisation testing in a 3·5 wt-%NaCl solution. Micropore oxide films were formed on all the sample groups by MAO. The thickness and micropore size of the MAO coating increased with the increasing voltage. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results indicate that Ti, O and P became incorporated into the MAO coatings. At a low voltage of 250 V, the MAO coatings were composed of amorphous, P₂O₅, TiP₂O₇ and titania phases (rutile and anatase). Variation of treatment voltages increased the ceramic coatings from an amorphous structure to a phase structure, and the P₂O₅ phase disappeared. The corrosion potential Φ_corr of the MAO sample shifted towards nobler directions, and the corrosion density I _corr fell significantly compared with that of the bare CP-Ti. Corrosion testing showed that the sizes of the micropore of the MAO samples obviously decrease, and the MAO surface becomes smooth.