Small signal frequency response studies for plasma electrolytic oxidation

Plasma assisted electrochemical treatments provide new possibilities in surface modification of various materials including light weight alloys. However, their large-scale application is still restricted, mainly due to poor understanding of the process mechanisms and consequent limitations in process control and automation. This problem can be resolved if the frequency response (FR) of the system is known and applied for process diagnostics. Our previous work has shown the effectiveness of the large signal mode for FR studies of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) of aluminium. This research is dedicated to FR measurements during PEO of Al in the small signal mode corresponding to small perturbations of voltage signal around large DC values. The study was carried out during PEO of Al at DC voltages which were varied from 450 to 600 V. The FR obtained is a frequency dependent admittance of the PEO electrolyser; this complex number is represented by a modulus and a phase angle. Under potentiostatic conditions, the modulus evolution strongly correlates with the average current value; therefore, it bears insufficient amounts of independent information. The FR phase angle measured within this study was never obtained before. Depending on the frequency, it varies between 0° and 70 ° in the capacitive domain. One of the most notable features of this characteristic is low values at 500–5000 Hz when microdischarges appear during PEO. The other feature is a correlation with the coating growth. As a result, a new diagnostic tool was developed and shown to be effective for evaluation of microdischarges and surface properties during the treatment, thus decreasing the uncertainty in the system.