Electrodeposition of Aluminum on an a286 Substrate from Ionic Liquids

Abstract Galvanic corrosion is a serious issue that affects all aircraft platforms within the Naval Aviation Enterprise. Due to tolerance constraints or other design limitations, deposition of a metal film as a sacrificial coating is utilized as a method of protection. One such process is the deposition of aluminum onto high strength steel substrates via the ion vapor deposition (IVD) process. While this process is effective in mitigating corrosion, the facilities required to perform this task are highly specialized, and the deposition process is line-of-sight only. To address these shortfalls, we have developed a method allowing for the electrodeposition of aluminum onto stainless steel using ionic liquid chemistries. This increases the ease with which the system could be installed on-site while increasing the rate at which components could be repaired. To achieve this concept, a plating bath chemistry was adopted, focusing on utilizing ionic liquid mixtures to provide the chemical and electrochemical features necessary for aluminum deposition. This chemistry, coupled with an optimized pulse plating process, has led to a system which can successfully deposit high quality pure aluminum onto A286 stainless steel, providing protection against galvanically driven corrosion