Process Parameter Selection for Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation to Improve Heat Dissipation Performance of Aluminum Alloy Heat Sink for Shipboard LED Luminaries

The possibility of an improvement in heat dissipation performance of aluminum alloy heat sink for shipboard LED luminaries through plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) was investigated. Four different PEO coatings were produced on aluminum alloy 5052 in silicate based alkaline solution by varying current density ($50{\sim}200mA/cm^2$). On voltage-time response curves, three stages were clearly distinguished at all current densities, namely an initial linear increase, slowdown of increase rate, and steady state(constant voltage). It was found that the increase in current density caused the breakdown voltage to increase. Two different surface morphologies - coralline porous structure and pancake structure - were confirmed by SEM examination. The coralline porous structure was predominant in the coatings produced at lower current densities (50 and $100mA/cm^2$) while under high current densities(150 and $200mA/cm^2$) the pancake structure became dominant. The coating thickness was measured and found to be in a range between about $13{\mu}m$ and $44{\mu}m$, showing increasing thickness with increasing current density. As a result, $100mA/cm^2$ was proposed as an effective process parameter to improve the heat dissipation performance of aluminum alloy heat sink, which could lower the LED operating temperature by about 30%.

선박용 LED 등기구의 알루미늄 합금 방열판의 방열성능 향상을 위한 플라즈마 전해 산화의 공정변수 선정에 관한 연구