Abstract
This study investigates friction and wear characteristics of anodized aluminum (Al) alloy 6061 by using a reciprocating tribotester. The diameter and height of the specimen are 30 mm and 10 mm, respectively. The surface roughness of the mirrored-surface is approximately $0.01{\sim}0.02{\mu}m$, and it is used throughout the current study. As a result of anodizing, the depth and diameter of the nanopore are approximately $25{\mu}m$ and 30-40 nm, respectively. The testing conditions are as follows: loads of 1, 3, and 5 N; a frequency of 1 Hz; a stoke of 3 mm; and a duration of 1800 s. We use deionized water with a volume of approximately $25{\mu}l$, as the lubricant. Micro Vickers hardness measurements show that mirrored-surface specimens had lower hardness values than anodized specimens. Further, their coefficients of friction are lower than those of the anodized samples, and the width of their wear track increases with load, as expected. The anodized specimens' coefficients of friction increase with stable frictional behavior and exhibit insignificant load dependence. Further, we observe that the width of the wear track is less than that of the mirrored-surface specimens, and micro cracks are present near it. Moreover, the anodizing process increases the hardness of the samples, improving their wear resistance. These results indicate that nanoporous structures are not effective in lowering friction under the water-lubricated condition.