Enhanced tribological performance of cylinder liners made of cast aluminum alloy with high silicon content through plasma electrolytic oxidation

Aluminum-silicon (Al-Si) alloys have been increasingly used in several industries to develop novel lighter and high-performance components. Nevertheless, these novel advanced materials display poor wear resistance which hamper their application in several critical tribological components. This investigation is focused on the surface modification of Al-Si alloys with high Si content, through a breakthrough green coating technology named plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO). The main aim is, for the first time, to study the tribological behavior of PEO-treated cylinder liners made of cast Al with high Si content, in a configuration mimicking the real contact between a cylinder liner and a piston ring. Additionally, this study is based on the development of a novel electrolyte especially designed to generate PEO films with improved tribological properties.