Abstract
A thin compact oxide film forms naturally on aluminium in air and can be thickened by anodizing, to give widely used materials. However, highly localized processes can occur at flaws, which are always present in the films and they can lead to pit development1 and influence the electrical properties2 (dielectric breakdown and rectification). As awareness of the different behaviour at flaws increases, other interesting phenomena, such as electroluminescence3, response to UV radiation4 and electrolytic colouring5, may be influenced by the activation of preexisting flaws, or the generation of new flaws. Clearly, further knowledge of this kind is of fundamental and practical importance. Some of the more significant findings relating to the nature, shape and geometry of flaws observed after anodizing in ammonium pentaborate solution are outlined here.
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References
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Thompson, G., Shimizu, K. & Wood, G. Observation of flaws in anodic films on aluminium. Nature 286, 471–472 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/286471a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/286471a0
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