Roles of pH and acid type in the anodic growth of porous alumina

Several theoretical models have been formulated to explain the growth of porous structures in anodized alumina. Using some basic assumptions, these models predict the size and shape of the pores in the anodic porous alumina as functions of pH and voltage. Additionally, they address issues of stability in the pore growth. In this work, we have carried out a systematic experimental investigation to study the stability phase diagram as a function of pH and applied voltage. We also obtain the dependence of pore dimensions on the pH, voltage, and acid type. Based on our results, and insight gained from recent chemical analysis of the porous alumina anodization process, we conclude that the models must include an appropriate weighting factor to account for the oxidation and dissolution mechanism during the pore formation. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.