ABSTRACT
Ion vapor deposition (IVD) is a vacuum process that utilizes an ion plating technique to apply a uniform and highly adherent aluminum coating on different metallic materials. IVD Al-coated aluminum alloy aircraft parts have been in service in the aerospace industry for corrosion protection [1,2]. IVD aluminum coatings are used in the aerospace industry as an environmentally friendly replacement for cadmium plating. IVD vacuum equipment is in-place at original equipment makers, military maintenance depots, and a number of coating/plating vendors. Figure 32.1 shows a picture of a typical IVD deposition chamber and associated electronics. IVD of pure aluminum has been in service for about two decades in the aerospace industry where substrate materials have typically been high-strength steels as well as aluminum and titanium alloys.
