Research Information System
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, vol.148, no.3, pp.887-895, 2014 (SCI-Expanded)
The porous structure of anodic aluminium oxide (MO) can be used in versatile applications such as a lubricant reservoir in self-lubricating systems. Such systems are subjected to biaxial loading, which can induce crack formation and propagation, ultimately leading to catastrophic mechanical failure. In this study, the mechanical and tribological behaviour of MO, prepared from two different types of electrolytes (sulphuric and oxalic acids), are studied in detail. The electrolytic conditions are adjusted to render highly tuneable average pore diameters (between 16 and 75 nm), with porosity levels ranging from 9% to 65%. Well-ordered porous MO are produced by two-step anodization at rather low temperatures. Mechanical properties, mainly hardness and Young's modulus, are investigated using nanoindentation.