Author: VN Balbyshev, DJ King, AN Khramov, LS Kasten, MS Donley
Institute: Universal Technology Corporation, 1270 North Fairfield Road, Dayton, OH 45432-2600, USA; Air Force Research Laboratories, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7750, USA; Office of Technology Assessment and Transfer, 133 Defense Highway, Suite 212, Annapolis, MD 21401, USA; University of Dayton Research Institute, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469-0168, USA
The study of quasi-crystalline thin films based on aluminum for corrosion protection is a current trend in modern materials and coatings. In recent decades, quasicrystals have attracted the attention of scientists due to their unique physical and chemical properties, which can significantly improve the corrosion resistance of metals.
Recent studies have demonstrated that thin-film quasicrystalline coatings have special properties, including exceptionally high electrical and thermal resistance, and low surface energy. Aluminum-based quasicrystals are insulating alloys containing about 70% aluminum. The corrosion properties of such coatings were studied on AA-2024 substrates with a quasicrystalline layer. The deposition parameters of thin-film coatings are considered, and the data of microstructural and chemical analysis of their surface are presented. The anticorrosive properties of these coatings were studied using potentiodynamic scanning and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that nanostructured quasicrystalline films significantly reduce the corrosion of immersed AA2024-T3 substrates. Morphological and electrochemical studies confirm the unique protective properties of aluminum quasicrystalline films, which makes them promising for the treatment of aluminum alloys against corrosion.
Thin films formed on the basis of aluminum quasicrystals have high strength and a continuous structure, which makes it difficult for corrosive agents to penetrate. Synthesis of such films is carried out using deposition methods such as magnetron sputtering and laser ablation deposition.
During the experiments, the dependence of corrosion resistance on the composition and thickness of quasi-crystalline films was studied. The results demonstrated increased corrosion resistance compared to traditional coatings. This opens up new horizons for the use of quasi-crystalline technologies in protecting metal structures from destruction, which is of significant importance in industry and construction.