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Fig. 1: SEM photo of aluminum deposited on autobody sheet steel from BASIONICS AL03 at 90°C, using 80mA/cm1 current density. |
An important step in the manufacturing process of many high-grade goods consists of applying a metal or alloy coat to different substrate materials. Applications range from micro-electronic processes to protective coatings used in the aerospace industry.
In conventional coating processes, metals contained in aqueous electrolyte solutions are deposited on substrate materials by an electrochemical mechanism.
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However, this traditional technology has its limits when less noble metals like aluminum and its alloys are involved. These cannot be deposited. Instead of the metal deposition, hydrogen formation would occur.
Ionic liquids, however, are sufficiently stable to allow electrochemical deposition of metals such as aluminum.
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| Fig. 2: Aluminum layers on different substrates (Steel, Copper, Aluminium), deposited from BASIONICS AL02. |
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