Surface treatment of zinc by Schiff’s bases and its corrosion study

The zinc metal surface is chemically modified by newly synthesized Schiff’s bases and its corrosion protection is investigated. The influence of concentration of Schiff’s bases on modification of zinc surface and immersion time in treatment bath are investigated and optimized for maximum corrosion protection efficiency. The electrochemical studies of treated zinc specimens are performed in aqueous acid solution using galvanostatic polarization technique. The treated zinc samples show good corrosion resistance. The recorded electrochemical data of chemically treated samples indicate a basic modification of the zinc surface. The protection efficiency of organic layer formed on zinc surface is tested by varying the acid concentration and temperature of the corrosive medium. The corrosion protection efficiency increases with the concentration of Schiff’s bases and immersion time. This is due to a strong interaction between zinc and the organic molecules, which results in the formation of a protective layer. This layer prevents the contact of aggressive medium with the zinc surface. The surface modification is confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy images. The interaction between metal atoms and Schiff’s bases is also established by IR studies. Published in Russian in Elektrokhimiya, 2007, Vol. 43, No. 7, pp. 886–892. The text was submitted by the authors in English.