The influence of process parameters on the formation of Al coating on steel by planetary ball-milling

Abstract

The effects of milling time, ball/powder ratio, and milling speed on coating thickness are investigated using response surface methodology (i.e., central composite design) in detail. The individual and interaction effects of the factors are determined by the statistical analysis of the data. A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) is used for measuring the coating thickness. The results show that the ball/powder ratio is the most significant parameter on the coating thickness. The maximum coating thickness of 164 µm is achieved at a milling speed of 400 rpm, ball-to-powder ratio of 15:1 and milling time of 8 h.