Light weight metal coatings are a class of surface treatments that have gained popularity in recent years due to their unique properties and benefits. These coatings are applied to a substrate to impart various favourable properties such as corrosion resistance, high strength-to-weight ratio, electrical conductivity, as well as thermal stability while reducing weight and improving efficiency. They are broadly employed in various industries such as construction, automotive, aerospace, medical, and electronics, among others. Light weight metal coatings are typically made of metals for instance aluminum, titanium, magnesium, and its alloys, which offer corrosion resistance, high strength-to-weight ratio and thermal conductivity.
It should be noted that among all these metals, aluminium as well as its alloys are regarded as the most suitable coating materials. However, the tribological behaviour of aluminium is insufficient for numerous applications except if the alloy is carefully selected or incorporated with hard secondary elements including aluminium oxide (Al2O3) or silicon carbide (SiC) particles. These aluminum metal matrix composite (Al-MMC) coatings with ceramic reinforcement have been widely used, owing to its exceptional properties including high wear and corrosion resistance, high strength-to-weight ratio, as well as less price.
