Effect of Temperature of Oxalic Acid on the Fabrication of Porous Anodic Alumina from Al-Mn Alloys
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Research Article Effect of Temperature of Oxalic Acid on the Fabrication of Porous Anodic Alumina from Al-Mn Alloys C. H. Voon, M. N. Derman, U. Hashim, K. R. Ahmad, and K. L. Foo Institute of Nanoelectronic Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Seriab, 01000 Kangar, Perlis, Malaysia Correspondence should be addressed to C. H. Voon; david [email protected] Received 30 December 2012; Accepted 12 April 2013 Academic Editor: Lian Gao Copyright © 2013 C. H. Voon et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The influence of temperature of oxalic acid on the formation of well-ordered porous anodic alumina on Al-0.5 wt% Mn alloyswas studied. Porous anodic alumina has been produced on Al-0.5 wt% Mn substrate by single-step anodising at 50 V in 0.5 M oxalic acid ∘ ∘ at temperature ranged from 5 Cto25 C for 60 minutes. The steady-state current density increased accordingly with the temperature ∘ of oxalic acid. Hexagonal pore arrangement was formed on porous anodic alumina that was formed in oxalic acid of 5, 10 and 15 C ∘ while disordered porous anodic alumina was formed in oxalic acid of 20 and 25 C. The temperature of oxalic acid did not affect the pore diameter and interpore distance of porous anodic alumina. Both rate of increase of thickness and oxide mass increased steadily with increasing temperature of oxalic acid, but the current efficiency decreased as the temperature of oxalic acid increased due to enhanced oxide dissolution from pore wall. 1. Introduction a two-step anodising method for the synthesis of well- ordered PAA. Since then, owing to the commercial potential Porous anodic alumina (PAA) is a self-organizing porous and scientific significance, there has been an ongoing material. After the confirmation of the classical cell model research effort towards the fabrication of well-ordered PAA. proposed by Keller et al. [1], PAA has attracted enormous Prepatterning methods such as imprint lithography [12–14], attraction as inexpensive template for the fabrication of vari- focused ion beam lithography [15], and electron beam ous nanostructured materials without the need of costly and lithography [16] were also developed for the fabrication of complex lithographic techniques [2–6]. PAA is a suitable tem- well-ordered PAA. These methods involved the formation plate for the synthesis of nanostructured materials because of indented concave periodic patterns on the aluminium itscellparameterssuchasporediameter,interporedistance, substrates prior to the anodising process. These patterns and pore depth can be controlled easily by varying anodising servedasguideforthenucleationandgrowthofwell-ordered conditions [7, 8]. The fabrication of nanostructured materials PAA. Besides, high-field anodising was also proposed as an by template synthesis method employs well-ordered PAA alternative for the synthesis of well-ordered PAA [17]. Critical because well-ordered PAA provides regular pore shape and high anodising potential which is the anodising potential narrow distribution of specific pore diameter and interpore required to induce high current density while preventing distance for the synthesis of nanostructured materials of local current density concentration on the aluminium uniform dimensions. Since the properties of nanostructured surfacewasappliedduringthehigh-fieldanodising. materials are significantly influenced by the dimensions, itis Although many techniques for the synthesis of well- important to synthesize nanostructured materials of uniform ordered PAA were reported, these techniques employed dimensions [6, 9, 10]. high purity aluminium (99.99%) substrate as a starting In order to fabricate well-ordered PAA, various material. The cost of high purity aluminium is high and approaches were proposed. First well-ordered PAA was it has limited the commercial potential and applications of realized by Masuda and Fukuda in 1995 [11]. They employ well-ordered PAA in the large-scale template synthesis of 2 nanostructured materials. Therefore there is always a need of the substrates before being subjected to anodising were to find an alternative of high purity aluminium substrate to weighted and recorded. widen the applications of PAA. Compared to high purity Substrates were then anodised under the similar operat- aluminium, the costs of aluminium alloys are relatively low. ing conditions except in oxalic acid of increasing temperature. Thus, anodising of aluminium alloys is a good alternative Lead plate was used as cathode. The distance between the to obtain low-cost template for the synthesis of nanostruc- lead cathode and aluminium anode was 40 mm. Anodising tured materials. However, due to the complexity of the was performed at constant voltage for a sufficient time for anodising of aluminium alloys, there are only a few reports the development of steady-state morphology within the film. on the fabrication of PAA film from aluminium alloy, and Anodising was conducted at constant voltage of 50 V in ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ ∘ most of these studies are emphasized on the commercially 0.5 M oxalic acid of 5 C, 10 C, 15 C, 20 C, and 25 C. The ∘ available aluminium alloys [18–21]. Commercially available temperature variance was controlled within ±0.5 C. Cur- aluminium alloys normally consist of Si, Fe, Mg, Mn, and Cu rent density-time curve was recorded during the anodising as alloying elements. These alloying elements have different process. The anodised substrates were rinsed with flowing behaviour during the anodising process. They may promote ethanol followed by deionised water and dried. or hinder the fabrication of well-ordered PAA. Furthermore, Three samples of 5 mm × 5 mm in area each were these alloying elements may react among each other before or sectioned from each anodised substrate. The cross-sections of during the anodising process. The study of synthesis of PAA the substrates were observed under SEM. The thickness of the from commercially available aluminium alloy is therefore PAA film was measured by using software JEOL SmileView difficulttobeanalyzedandconcluded. version 2.1. The steady-state structure of PAA beneath the Manganese (Mn) is one of the major alloying elements initially formed irregular structure was revealed by oxide used in aluminium alloys. It is added up to two percent dissolution treatment. A mixture of chromic acid and phos- to enhance the corrosion resistance of aluminium alloys, phoric acid was prepared from 20 g of chromium(VI) oxide especially in 3xxx series. Tothe best of our knowledge, limited and 35 mL of 85 wt% phosphoric acid in 1000 mL of distilled study was reported on the synthesis of PAA from Al-Mn water.Oneanodisedsubstrateof5mm× 5mminareawas alloys [22]. There is a growing interest in the development then subjected to oxide dissolution treatment in a stirred ∘ of economic alternative for the synthesis of well-ordered mixture of chromic acid and phosphoric acid at 70–80 Cfor PAA. The cost of large-scale production of nanostructured eight hours. The substrate was rinsed thoroughly with ethanol materials can be significantly reduced when the well-ordered followedbydistilledwaterandthendried.Themorphologyof PAA is fabricated from aluminium alloys instead of expensive the treated PAA was observed under SEM. Pore diameter and high purity aluminium. The synthesis of well-ordered PAA interpore distance of PAA were measured by using software from Al-Mn alloys is affected by the anodising parameters JEOL SmileView version 2.1. such as temperature of oxalic acid. Thus, the purpose of this To measure the mass of oxide film formed, the same study is to investigate the effect of temperature of oxalic acid solution which was used for oxide dissolution treatment was on the fabrication of well-ordered PAA on Al-Mn alloys. The prepared. The mass of the anodised substrates of 5 mm × results of this study are important in the optimization of 5 mm in area before being subjected to dissolution process anodising parameters for the fabrication of well-ordered PAA was recorded. The anodised substrate was then stirred in the ∘ from Al-Mn alloys. In this context, we report a study of the mixture at 70–80 C for 8 hours. The substrate was rinsed effect of temperature of oxalic acid on the fabrication of well- thoroughly with ethanol and distilled water and then dried. ordered PAA from Al-0.5 wt% Mn alloys. The weight of the respective substrate was recorded. The difference between the weights of substrate before and after being subjeced to the oxide dissolution treatment is the mass 2. Experimental of the PAA, . The current efficiencies of the anodising of substrate of different Mn content were calculated based on To fabricate Al substrate of 0.5 wt% Mn content, high purity the reported literature [23]. The mass of aluminium metal (99.99%) aluminium pellets and Al-20 wt% Mn master alloys converted to oxide, ( ),wasrelatedtomassbalanceover ∘ Al of respective mass were melted at 850 C. The molten mixture the anodised sample in was then poured into a 25 mm diameter stainless steel cylindrical mould. Substrates of 4 mm in thickness were =( ) +( −), sectioned from casting product. To remove the residual stress Al (1) on the substrates that was formed during the sectioning ∘ process, the substrates were annealed at 450 C for four hours andannealedinfurnacetoroomtemperature. in which and arethemassoftheanodisedsample All substrates were ground by using silicon carbide paper before and after anodising, and these values were recorded up to 2000 grit to remove scratches formed on the substrate previously. Current efficiency is defined as the ratio ofthe surfaces during sectioning process. The substrates were then actual amount of current used for oxide formation relative polished by using alumina polishing suspension of 6 m, to the total current passed. Mass of oxide formed, , 1 m, and 0.05 m successively to achieve mirror-like surface. was determined from the difference between the masses of Substrates were degreased by dipping them in a stirred anodised sample before and after oxide dissolution.