AC impedance analysis was carried out on the surface oxide films formed on aluminum by three surface treatments:
1) electropolishing, 2) chemical polishing, and 3) immersion in H
3PO
4/CrO
3 solution. The pretreated specimens were anodized in a neutral phosphate solution to examine the effects of the initial surface films on the subsequent formation of anodic oxide.
It was found that the equivalent circuits for the surface films were all expressed as parallel combinations of resistance (R
ox) and capacitance (C
ox) components. The value of Rox decreased in the order of pretreatments (1)>(3)>(2); the order was reversed for C
ox. Dielectric constant and specific resistivity of the films were estimated and the relationship between the electrical properties and the chemical composition is discussed.
The Cl
- ions incorporated in the surface film formed by treatment 1) led to the formation of anodic oxide films with a relatively large number of defects. The inner layer of the anodic oxide films was composed of pure Al
2O
3, and it was thinner for films with pretreatment 3) than those with 1) and 2). This is explained in terms of the effects of pre-existing films on ion transport during subsequent anodizing.
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