Novel surface treatment process for light metal alloys

Components coated using the Keronite process

British company, Keronite Ltd, has installed a small-scale production and demonstration facility for coating aluminium, magnesium and titanium alloy components at TWI's headquarters at Abington. The Keronite process converts thealloy surface to a dense, wear and corrosion resistant metal oxide by means of a plasma electrolytic discharge from an aqueous solution. The process offers an environmentally friendly and technically superior alternative to wet coatingprocesses, such as electroplating and anodising. Coatings can be deposited to a thickness of 400 microns. Keronite sells licences for this process. Possible applications include:

• Automotive - pistons, cylinder blocks and liners, sliding bearings, wheels.
• Aerospace - actuators and gears, structural elements, bearings and wheels, gas turbines.
• Oil, gas and chemical - valves, pumps, hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
• Cookware - frying pans, saucepans, knife sharpeners.
• Medical - prostheses.
• Printing - anilox rolls.

For more information contact David Harvey e-mail: dave.harvey@twi.co.uk , or Andrew Sturgeon e-mail: andrew.sturgeon@twi.co.uk at TWI.