Formation and Infrared Emissivity of Microarc Oxidation Coatings on Mg-7Li Alloy

Ceramic coatings were successfully fabricated on Mg-7Li alloy in Na2SiO3 electrolyte by microarc oxidation (MAO). The phase composition, formation mechanism and infrared emissivity of the coatings were investigated. Results show that the surface of MAO coating exists some micropores with a diameter of 2-6μm due to electric breakdown. The MAO coating with 13μm thickness is mainly composed of MgO, Li2O2 and Mg2SiO4. The infrared emissivity of the MAO coating is higher than that of bare Mg-7Li alloy, mainly because the coating consisting of ionic crystals has lower lattice vibration symmetry and larger dipole moment.