Study of wear and corrosion resistance of ATO nanoparticle–doped micro‐arc oxide film layers

Abstract In order to enhance the corrosion and wear resistance of aluminum alloys in complex and variable environments, an Al 2 O 3 ceramic film was prepared on the surface of 7A04 aluminum alloy in a silicate electrolyte system using a micro‐arc oxidation technique. Subsequently, antimony tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles were used to dope the micro‐arc oxidation film to enhance the protective properties of the 7A04 aluminum alloy. The structural characteristics of the film were investigated by examining the surface and cross‐sectional morphology and the composition of the physical phases. The results show that ATO nanoparticles can promote the micro‐arc oxidation reaction, improve the surface morphology of the film layer, increase the thickness of the film layer and the denseness after sintering, and enter the film layer in the form of melt wrapping, which plays a role in refining the grain. In the study of the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of ATO‐doped ceramic film layers, it was found that the introduction of ATO nanoparticles did not significantly improve the wear resistance of the micro‐arc oxide ceramic film layers but significantly improved the corrosion resistance of the film layers.