16Material Science and Technology of Japan, 53㸦2016㸧16㹼19Jan. 2016

Regular Paper
Al-Fe Composite Films from Dimethyl Sulfone Solution by
Electrochemical Technique
Katsuhito SANO1, Nobuaki WATANABE1,* , Naoya TASUGI1, Tomiyuki ARAKAWA2,and Ichiro KOIWA1
1

College of Science and Engineering, Kanto Gakuin University, 1-50-1 Mutsuura-Higashi, Kanazawa-Ku,Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-8501, Japan
2

Institute of Science and Technology, Kanto Gakuin University, 1-50-1 Mutsuura-Higashi, Kanazawa-Ku,
Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-8501, Japan

Received Oct. 11, 2015; Accepted Nov. 24, 2015
AbstractElectrodeposition of Al-Fe composite films from the aluminum chloride (AlCl3) - dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2) plating
solution with ferric chloride (FeCl3) was investigated. The total metal chloride ratio ((AlCl3 + FeCl3) / (DMSO2 +AlCl3 + FeCl3)) is constant at 33.3 mol%. The ratio of FeCl3 to AlCl3 is controlled from 10 to 30 mol%. A current
density is controlled from 300 to 1000 A/m2. Fe content is controllable from 0 % to almost 100 %.
Keywords: Iron Aluminum Composite, Aluminum Plating, Electrodeposition, Non-aqueous Solution, Dimethyl Sulfone

1.

Introduction

and polymers. The high solubility of many compounds inThe physical property of FexAl1-x is not only scientific but

DMSO2 as well as its high temperature stability makes it an ideal

also technological interest because of its wide variety of potential

reaction solvent for plating. The plating solution was mainly

applications. The magnetic behavior of this system has been

composed of aluminum chloride (AlCl3) and DMSO2 forstudied by several authors[1-7] because of its variety of magnetic

aluminum electrodeposition[20-24]. In spite of the large numberphases such as paramagnetic, ferromagnetic and spin-glassof the electrodeposition studies for Al alloys from DMSO2

phases. Magnetic film can be a promising candidate for practicalsolution, there have no reports on the Al-Fe alloy.

applications[8-17]. Electrodeposition is one of the most effective

In this paper, we present the results of the electrodeposition

methods for the synthesis of film composites. An aqueousof Al-Fe composite films from the AlCl3-DMSO2 plating solution

solution has been widely prevalent in the plating solution for thewith FeCl3.

electrodeposition. However, the limited electrochemical window2.

and hydrogen evolution problems have considerably restricted

Experimental method

the kinds of metals for the electrodeposition. Aluminum, that is

The plating solution was composed of AlCl3, FeCl3 andless noble than hydrogen, can not be electrodeposited fromDMSO2. The total metal chloride ratio, (AlCl3 + FeCl3) /aqueous solution. Therefore, the possibility of forming an(DMSO2 + AlCl3 + FeCl3), was constant at 33.3 mol%. The ratio

aluminum film using an organic solvent[18-24], moltenof FeCl3 to AlCl3 was controlled from 10 to 30 mol%. A current

salts[25-28], hydride[29] or ionic liquid[30-39] has been studied.

density was controlled from 300 to 1000 A/m2. Since a melting

A dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2) is one of the most promising

point of dimethyl sulfone was from 107 to 109 oC, a plating

candidates for non-aqueous solvent[20-24]. DMSO2 has sometemperature is necessary to be higher than this value. However,distinctive properties for an organic compound, such as a highthe aluminum plating was not sometimes performed at thepolarity, high boiling, aprotic solvent and relatively wide

temperature lower than 130 oC. Results of thermal desorption

electrochemical window. Molten DMSO2 is excellent solvent forspectrometry (TDS) showed that the desorption peaks of H2Oa wide variety of compounds including inorganic salts, organics

appeared at 110 and 150 oC. This result suggests that the water in*Corresponding author: nabe@kanto-gakuin.ac.jp(16)