Abstract: A newly developed method is introduced for producing Cr 2O 3 base ceramic coating on aluminum alloys. On the basis of properly selecting base reactions, slurry is prepared and then applied onto the substrate surface. By chemical reactions taken place in situ on the surface of aluminum alloy at relative low temperature, Cr 2O 3 base ceramic coating is formed. By means of scanning electron microscopy, the coating microstructure and the bonding mechanism are studied. X ray diffraction analysis is also used to investigate the chemical composition of the coating. The coating formation mechanism is further discussed. With a pin on disk tester, wear test is made to evaluate the wear performances of the coating. The results show that by applying the coating on aluminum alloy, the wear decreases 5 times in comparation to that without coating.

Key words: Cr 2O 3 ceramic coating, aluminum alloy, chemical reaction