Zhenhua Liu, a second-year master's student in the group, published a paper as the first author in a journal of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Region II under the guidance of Mr Lu Hailin. This thesis is on the effect of different ultrasonic power modulation on the optimisation of aluminium alloy micro-arc oxidation coating properties. With the assistance of ultrasound, the properties of micro-arc oxidation coatings, such as uniformity, wear resistance and corrosion resistance, were improved by utilising the cavitation effect, mechanical effect and thermal effect produced by the energy corresponding to its moderate power. The article explains in detail the formation mechanism of the micro-arc oxide coatings of the target group. This study provides valuable insights into the interaction between ultrasonic power and the corresponding generated micro-arc oxide coatings, and is important for optimising the ultrasound-assisted process and improving the coating properties.

Zhenhua Liu ^a, Hailin Lu ^a, *, Ziyue Zhao ^a, Zhiqiang Zhu ^a, and Suobin Li ^b, *. Influence of ultrasonic power modulation on the optimisation of aluminium alloy micro-arc oxidation coating properties. [J]. Applied Surface Science. (Accepted, Impact Factor: 6.3, CAS Region II)

Fig. 1 Surface morphology of coatings prepared by different ultrasonic power

Fig. 2 Surface wear patterns of five samples under different friction conditions.

Fig. 3 Growth mechanism of micro-arc oxidation coatings under ultrasound assistance