Anodic film formation on binary AlMg and AlTi alloys in nitric acid

Nitric acid is commonly used for surface treatments of aluminium alloys. It is used to clean the surfaces after alkaline etching; it has application in chemical polishing and is also used for electrograining. The majority of these treatments undergo the application of anodic polarisation that results in formation of anodic oxide film. However, little is known about the behaviour of aluminium containing magnesium or titanium in solid solution under such conditions. To reveal the effects of magnesium and titanium alloying additions on anodic film formation in nitric acid, Al-1800 ppm Mg and Al-800 ppm Ti alloys were investigated. It was found that porous alumina film developed on the surfaces with reduced efficiency of 40%, due to the reactive nature of nitric acid to alumina. The presence of magnesium and titanium in aluminium had little influence on the efficiency of film growth, as confirmed by the relatively similar thicknesses of oxide formed on binary alloys and aluminium. However, incorporation of magnesium ions into the alumina film led to development of a high-population density of localised voids near the alloy/film interface. An increased titanium content was found in the film regions close to the alloy/film interface, indicating its oxidation. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.