Improving the performance of aerospace alloys

This paper reviews the role of alloying elements in aluminium and alloy fabrication on performance during surface treatment and surface finishing. Such elements may be present in solid solution as fine segregates, strengthening phase and equilibrium phases. For surface treatment and finishes, which generally proceed in the presence of alumina film, knowledge of the processes proceeding at the alloy/film and film/electrolyte interfaces, and those within anodic alumina films, gives rise to the possibility of controlling features of nanoscale dimensions, for improved performance, arises. Its influence on nanotextures at treated surfaces and compositionally and morphologically modified films is explained briefly.