The efficiency of nanotube formation on titanium anodized under voltage and current control in fluoride/glycerol electrolyte.

The formation of nanotubes on titanium is compared for anodizing under controlled voltage and controlled current in a fluoride/glycerol electrolyte. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and nuclear reaction analysis are employed to determine the film compositions. Film morphologies are examined by electron microscopy. The findings reveal films of approximate composition TiO(2).0.15TiF(4) that probably also contain derivatives of glycerol. Controlled voltage conditions resulted in more uniform final nanotube dimensions, for a particular charge density, and the highest efficiency of film growth, with the charge of the titanium in the film representing ∼48% of the charge passed during anodizing. Under current control, the efficiency decreased from ∼40% to ∼23% with increase of the current density from 0.1 to 0.5 mA cm(-2). Further, the thickness of the barrier layer was sometimes enhanced under current control, possibly due to a non-uniform current distribution and consequently elevated local temperature.