Structure of anodized Al–Zr sputter deposited coatings and effect on optical appearance

Highlights: • Microstructure of magnetron sputtered Al–Zr coatings on AA6060 under as coated and heat treated condition. • Effect of heat treatment and precipitation of Al–Zr–Si (τ₁) phase on optical appearance of anodized layer. • Partial oxidation of τ₁ precipitates after anodizing and relation to darkening of the anodized layer. • Oxidized region of τ₁ precipitates was amorphous while unoxidized region retained crystallinity. • Unoxidized metallic τ₁ in amorphous anodic alumina acts as light absorption centres and causes darkening after anodizing. - Abstract: The mechanism of interaction of light with the microstructure of anodized layer giving specific optical appearance is investigated using Al–Zr sputter deposited coating as a model system on an AA6060 substrate. Differences in the oxidative nature of various microstructural components result in the evolution of typical features in the anodized layer, which are investigated as a function of microstructure and correlated with its optical appearance. The Zr concentration in the coating was varied from 6 wt.% to 23 wt.%. Heat treatment of the coated samples was carried out at 550 °C for 4 h in order to evolve Al–Zr based second phase precipitates in the microstructure. Anodizing was performed using 20 wt.% sulphuric acid at 18 °C with an intention to study the effect of anodizing on the Al–Zr based precipitates in the coating. Detailed microstructural characterization of the coating and anodized layer was carried out using high resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction analysis, glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy, and optical appearance using spectrophotometry. The evolution of microstructure in the anodized layer as a function of anodizing parameters and their influence on the interaction of light is investigated and the results in general are applicable to discolouration of anodized layer on recycled aluminium alloys due to intermetallics