Electrochemical and morphological characterization of porous alumina formed by galvanostatic anodizing in etidronic acid

Electrochemical and morphological characterization of the porous alumina formed by galvanostatic anodizing in etidronic acid under various operating conditions was performed. High-purity aluminum plates were anodized in 0.03–3 M etidronic acid solutions at 273–333 K and 0.25–500 Am⁻² for up to 24 h. Galvanostatic anodizing in etidronic acid operated over a wide range voltage measuring from a few V to 246 V. The time required for the steady growth of porous alumina not only depends on the current density but also the temperature and the concentration of the electrolyte solution during galvanostatic anodizing. The average, maximum, and minimum cell sizes of the porous alumina were directly proportional to the anodizing voltage with a proportionality constant of 2.5, 3.5 and 0.7, respectively, and were independent of other parameters. The number density of the cell was also a function of the anodizing voltage and agreed with the theoretical value obtained for ordered porous alumina with an ideal honeycomb distribution. The maximum voltage measured during galvanostatic anodizing was linearly proportional to the plateau voltage with a proportionality constant of 1.4.