Corrosion resistance of additive manufactured AlSi10Mg samples anodized or treated with PEO

In recent years, the importance of 3D printing of metal components in industry has increased exponentially, no longer limited to objects with purely aesthetic purposes, but widening its field of application to different mechanical components. Cleary with the increase in the diffusion of additive manufacturing, there is also a new need to protect the samples from corrosion by means of suitable coatings. In particular, in the field of additive manufacturing of aluminum alloys, it is possible to protect the components by anodizing or electrolytic plasma oxidation (PEO). In this paper the possibility of using these techniques for the protection of AlSi10Mg components obtained by additive manufacturing was evaluated. The samples were characterized in terms of microstructure and corrosion resistance. The PEO technique resulted the most effective in protecting the samples.