Study on characterization technology of porosity and fractal dimension of micro-arc oxidation coating

Abstract The porosity of the micro-arc oxidation coating of pure titanium was assessed through the utilization of Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The porosity values were subsequently adjusted by accounting for the proportion of coating volume, resulting in a more precise determination of the coating’s porosity. Additionally, the fractal dimension of the pore structure was determined through the application of a linear regression equation utilizing the Mercury intrusion data. The findings indicate that the observed numerical dispersion from image metohd is substantial, with a range of 34.9% between the minimum and maximum values. This suggests that the precision and validity of the porosity outcomes derived from this approach are inadequate; The MIP is capable of determining both the porosity, average pore size and pore size distribution of the sample, while also mitigating the impact of the matrix through test result correction, thereby yielding precise porosity values. Additionally, the results of the verification experiment demonstrate a positive correlation between the porosity alteration of the MIP and oxidation duration, thereby affirming the reliability of the test outcomes; Through the analysis of pressure, pore size, cumulative Mercury intrude volume, and incremental Mercury intrude volume data obtained from MIP, the fractal dimension of the coating’s pore structure then be determined. Research showed that as the oxidation time increases, the pore fractal dimension of the MAO coating gradually expands within a narrow range, from 2.57 and finally stabilized at 2.77, indicating a gradual increase in pore structure complexity.