Effects of an Al2O3 nano-additive on the performance of ceramic coatings prepared with micro-arc oxidation on a titanium alloy

In this research, nano-sized Al2O3 particles were added to silicate-based coatings and the effect of these particles on the microstructure, composition and properties of the coatings was investigated.The effects of the nano-additive on the structure, phase composition and hardness of the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coatings were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction and micro-hardness testing.The SEM showed that the coatings with a nano-additive have lower porosities than those without a nano-additive.XRD results showed that the coatings with nano-additives contain more oxide when compared to those without nano-additives.The results showed that the nanoparticle additions improve the hardness of the MAO coatings.