Influence of Anodizing by Electro-Chemical Oxidation on Fatigue and Wear Resistance of the EV31A-T6 Cast Magnesium Alloy

In the last decades, several anodizing processes for Mg alloys have been proposed to achieve a good wear and corrosion resistance combination. In particular, Electro-Chemical Oxidation (ECO) showed an improved dense and compact anodized layer compared to other anodizing processes carried out above the dielectric breakdown voltage, such as Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO). However, the influence of the ECO treatment on the tribological behavior and cyclic mechanical performance of Mg alloys has not been investigated yet. This paper reports on the influence of ECO on dry sliding behavior (vs. 100Cr6 bearing steel (block-on-ring contact geometry)) and rotating bending fatigue performance of the rare earth (RE)-containing Mg alloy EV31A-T6, comparing it with both untreated EV31A-T6 and PEO-treated EV31A-T6, used as benchmarks. The ECO-treated alloy showed improved tribological behavior (critical load for coating failure one order of magnitude higher and coefficient of friction 40% lower than for PEO) and fatigue strength (no decrease for ECO-treated samples compared to the untreated alloy, while PEO-treated samples induced a 15% decrease) due to the increased compactness and lower defectivity of the anodized layer, induced by the minimization of destructive arc discharges during coating growth. In addition, the ECO treatment significantly improved wear resistance compared to the untreated alloy, avoiding, at the same time, the decrease in fatigue strength, which typically occurs after PEO. Therefore, the ECO process can be applied to improve wear resistance without decreasing the fatigue strength of high-performance components.