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http://dx.doi.org/10.14775/ksmpe.2022.21.02.109

Chromate Conversion Coating on 3D Printed Aluminum Alloys  

Shin, Hong-Shik (School of Mechanical, Automotive and Aeronautical Engineering, KNUT.)
Kim, Hyo-Tae (LIGNEX1.)
Kim, Ki-Seung (LIGNEX1.)
Choi, Hye-Yoon (LIGNEX1.)
Publication Information
Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers / v.21, no.2, 2022 , pp. 109-115 More about this Journal
Abstract
The demand for metal 3D printing technology is increasing in various industries. The materials commonly used for metal 3D printing include aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, and stainless steel. In particular, for applications in the aviation and defense industry, aluminum alloy 3D printing parts are being produced. To improve the corrosion resistance in the 3D printed aluminum alloy outputs, a post-treatment process, such as chromate coating, should be applied. However, powdered materials, such as AlSi7Mg and AlSi10Mg, used for 3D printing, have a high silicon content; therefore, a suitable pretreatment is required for chromate coating. In the desmut step of the pretreatment process, the chromate coating can be formed only when a smut composed of silicon compounds or oxides is effectively removed. In this study, suitable desmut solutions for 3D printed AlSi7Mg and AlSi10Mg materials with high silicon contents were presented, and the chromate coating properties were studied accordingly. The smut removal effect was confirmed using an aqueous desmut solution composed of sulfuric, nitric, and hydrofluoric acids. Thus, a chromate coating was successfully formed. The surfaces of the aluminum alloys after desmut and chromate coating were analyzed using SEM and EDS.
Keywords
Metal 3D Printing; Chromate Coating; Desmut; Aluminum Alloy; Silicon Compounds;
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