Heat treatment of AZ91 magnesium alloy coated with an Al2O3 thin film with fluidized bed technology

Fluidized bed technology is a methodology widely known in the manufacturing environment for surface treatment of metals. Within the field of surface coating, it has already been exploited for the coating of a magnesium alloy creating a compact layer of Al2O3. The result was an improvement in mechanical and tribological properties, along with improved corrosion resistance. In this context, the work proposed is addressed towards the evaluation of the effects of thermal post-treatment on the alumina coating produced by means of the fluidized-bed technology. To analyse the effects of heat treatments the morphology, composition and hardness of the samples were investigated along with adhesion and wear resistance of the alumina film. The results obtained show how the temperature affects the surface morphology and promotes the diffusion of magnesium towards the alumina superficial layer. The mechanisms triggered by heat treatments increase the adhesion of the surface film obtained in the deposition process, improving its mechanical and tribological properties.