In this paper, plasma electrolytic carbonitriding (PEC/N) method was applied to pure aluminum for the first time. The spectroscopic characterization of plasma discharge during PEC/N process was analyzed and the electron temperature was calculated in terms of optical emission spectroscopy. The results showed the discharge plasma was in local thermal equilibrium (LTE) state. Electron concentration and electron temperature were about 6 x 10(21) m(-3) and 4000K, respectively. The carbonitrided layer contained Al4C3, AIN and Al7C3N3 phases. After PEC/N treatment, the corrosion resistance of pure aluminum was significantly improved, which was related to the formation of nitride phases. This work expands the application of plasma electrolysis technology on the surface modification of low melting point metal. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.