An environmentally friendly, non-chemical surface treatment has been developed as an altemative to phosphoric acid anodizing. This treatment is based on ion beam enhanced deposition of aluminumoxide (alpha-Al2O3) onto an aluminum alloy surface. Results of experiments are presented, demonstrating that the IBED surface treatment yields a surface which has improved resistance to corrosion in aqueous chlorine solutions.
Key Words: Ion-Beam Enhanced Deposition, Anodizing, Aluminum Oxide, Aluminum Alloy.