PLASMA ELECTROLYTIC OXIDATION (PEO/MAO)
Significantly Improves the Properties of Aluminum, Magnesium and Titanium.
Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO).
Micro-Arc Oxidation (MAO)
Lightweight and inexpensive metals such as aluminum and magnesium are increasingly used to decrease the cost and weight of various manufactured products. For these metals, a further benefit is an emerging process: Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO).
Also called Micro-Arc Oxidation (MAO), this process forms a very hard and adherent oxide layer on the base metal. This coating effectively protects against wear and corrosion. Further, as opposed to chrome plating or hard anodizing this process utilizes dilute and environmentally friendly chemical conditions. Therefore, it is attracting strong attention for many applications, a process we only see increasing. Please contact us to discuss your specific application.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
Significantly improves the properties of aluminum
Aluminum has a very high specific strength, is inexpensive, and is easy to form. However, its surface is soft causing possible wear issues and associated corrosion.
Aluminum oxide - when crystalline - is incredibly hard, wear-resistant, electrically insulating, and corrosion-resistant. Is there an inexpensive way to manufacture an aluminum piece and then cause the surface to grow a thick layer of this protective crystalline oxide? Basically, sapphires on the surface of the part?
Anodization, so commonly used, creates amorphous oxides, not hard crystals.
Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO), also known as micro-arc oxidation (MAO), is a recently developed process that we use to achieve hard crystalline oxides. We believe the results, indicated here, demonstrate the transformative nature of this process.