Development and characterization of mullite coatings on cast Aluminum for IC engine application

Abstract

Many benefits like good mechanical strength corrosion resistance wear resistance and thermal shock resistance do not occur simultaneously and hence the pursuit for better materials always exist The changing needs of our society demands new materials with enhanced properties to cater to specific needs due to the limitations of the conventional materials Increasing demand is there for requirements such as light weight structures and materials combined with higher durability for aircraft and automobile applications Engine components used in the automobile and the aerospace sectors where light weight is a necessity are exposed to high temperatures in the range of 600 C to 900 C which also demand a good structural strength wear resistance and corrosion resistance Such pressing needs demand high strength but light weight structural parts with good surface properties A parallel development is also taking place in the field of surface engineering to enhance the tribological properties of materials Surface Engineering is a field of Metallurgical Engineering where the surfaces of metallic and non metallic surfaces are treated in order to enhance their tribological properties and improve the performance of industrial components subjected to harsh environments and functions Many methods exist for the surface enhancement of aluminum such as electrochemical methods chemical methods coatings and some latest advanced techniques All these techniques have some merits and demerits One emerging field of coatings on aluminum is ceramic coatings using ceramic powders as coating material newline