XPS Study of Chemical Changes on the La/Ce Treated Surface of A361 Aluminium Alloy Exposed to Air at Temperatures up to 500∘C

Abstract

The chemical changes that take place on the rare earth treated surface of the A361 aluminium alloy exposed to air at temperatures between 100 and 500∘C have been examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The most notable features discussed in this work are the disappearance of Mg and Si signals at the tested temperatures and disappearance of the Ce signal at temperatures of 400–500∘C. The biphasic microstructure of the A361 alloy, constituted by close to 12 wt% Si and the Al matrix, plays an important role in many of the results obtained. The notable growth of aluminium oxide across the conversion coating in the case of the Ce-treated surface is related to the structural transformation experienced by the cerium oxide coating at 400–500∘C.