Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy Study of Cr(III) Sealing in Anodized Aluminum-Silicon Alloys

The work investigates the penetration depth of a low environmental impact Cr(III)-based sealing on two anodized Aluminum-Silicon alloys (i.e., EN AC-42200 and EN AC-43200) for brake system applications. EN AC-42200 and EN AC-43200 specimens are: 1) obtained by sectioning of gravity cast components; 2) anodized using different process times to obtain different anodic layer thicknesses; and 3) sealed in a Cr(III)-based proprietary sealing solution at low temperature. The obtained sealed anodic layers are characterized using several techniques including: Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES), metallographic analyses and Eddy current thickness measurements. Results demonstrate that: a) the Cr(III) concentration within the anodic layers shows an exponentially decreasing trend from the specimen surface toward the anodic layer-substrate interface; b) the typical thickness of the sealing layer is in the order of 1.5μm; and c) the Cr(III) penetration depth is only marginally affected by the thickness of the anodic layers and composition of the Aluminum-Silicon alloy under investigation.