HARD ANODIC OXIDATION OF A356 ALUMINUM ALLOY

ASTM A356 (ISO AlSi7Mg) aluminum alloys are widely used in automotive and aircraft industries but they are selected mainly as automobiles wheel rim materials. They are composed of magnesium and silicon elements for improving corrosion and strength properties. Wheel rim materials are often electroplated by rim paints for decorative views and durability considerations. In this study; aluminum A356 alloy was coated by hard anodic oxidation method. 14 samples are machined by 4x20x20 mm in dimensions for hard anodic oxidation. Three different case depths are tried on samples. Micro-structural investigations, micro-hardness surveys and the case depths of samples are thoroughly studied. The applicability of hard anodic oxidation method on wheel rim material A356 alloy is examined. The observations proved that A356 aluminum alloy is successfully hard anodic oxidized.