Patent ID: 7732068

Claim:
An aluminum alloy product comprising: (A) an aluminum alloy base having an electrochemically formed porous sulfate-phosphate oxide zone, the porous sulfate-phosphate oxide zone having a plurality of pores; (i) wherein the ratio of sulfur atoms to phosphorous atoms in the porous sulfate-phosphate oxide zone is from about 5:1 to about 100:1; and (ii) wherein the porous sulfate-phosphate oxide zone has a thickness of at least about 5 microns; and (B) a silicon-containing polymer zone coupled to the electrochemically formed porous sulfate-phosphate oxide zone; (i) wherein the silicon-containing polymer zone comprises a coating portion on a surface of the aluminum alloy base; and (ii) wherein the silicon-containing polymer zone comprises a silicon polymer having a backbone of the formula —Si—X—Si—, wherein X is either N or O; and (iii) wherein at least some of the silicon polymer is contained within at least some of the pores of the porous sulfate-phosphate oxide zone.