Novel method of phosphorescent strontium aluminate coating preparation on aluminum

Abstract

This work was supported by the ERDF , European-Union Project No. 1.1.1.1/16/A/182 . ; This study presents a novel approach to produce phosphorescent coatings on metal surfaces. Strontium aluminates are the most popular modern phosphorescent materials exhibiting long afterglow at room temperature and a broad spectral distribution of luminescence in the visible range. However, despite a large amount of research done, methods for synthesis of such materials remain relatively energy inefficient and environmentally unfriendly. A long-afterglow luminescent coating containing SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ is prepared by the plasma electrolytic oxidation on the surface of commercial aluminum alloy Al6082. During the electrical discharges in this process, the strontium aluminate is formed in a similar way to the solid-state reaction method. X-ray powder diffraction analysis confirms that the monoclinic SrAl2O4 phase is present in the coating. Optical properties of the obtained coating were analyzed with luminescence methods classically used for studies of luminophores. The performance of the coating was compared with commercially available strontium aluminate powder. The proposed method of coating synthesis may be of value for the development of energy-efficient and long-lasting automotive and public safety infrastructure. ; European Regional Development Fund 1.1.1.1/16/A/182; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART²