Growth behaviour of cerium-based conversion coating on Zn-5%Al alloy

Cerium-based conversion coatings were deposited on a Zn-5%Al alloy by immersing the alloy in cerium nitrate aqueous solutions with various immersion times. The growth behaviour of the cerium-based conversion coating on the Zn-5%Al alloy was investigated by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), SEM, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and XPS techniques. The results reveal that the coating mainly consists of ZnO, Zn(OH)₂, Ce(OH)₄, Ce(OH)₃, CeO₂, and Ce₂O₃. The growth of the cerium-based conversion coating is accompanied by metal dissolution. The dissolution mainly occurs on the η-Zn surface of the phase boundary and continues to extend to the Zn-rich phase as the coating grows. EIS results show that with increasing immersion time, the corrosion resistance of the Ce conversion coating gradually increases in the early growth stage and then decreases when the cracks appear.     

Corrosion behavior of AA2024-T3 alloy treated with phosphonate-containing TEOS

Protection from corrosion of the aluminum alloy AA2024-T3 coated with a tetraethoxysilicate (TEOS)/aminotrimethyllenephosphonic acid (ATMP) film in a 0.05-mol L⁻¹ NaCl solution was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy disperse spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The present work investigates the influence of different pretreatment procedures of the alloy surface and the ATMP concentration on the corrosion resistance of the coated samples. The undoped sol–gel coatings did not provide adequate corrosion protection. The best corrosion protection was achieved using acetic acid pretreatment and subsequent deposition of an ATMP-modified TEOS film with an optimal concentration of 5.00 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ in the deposition bath. The acetic acid pretreatment promotes a decrease in galvanic corrosion and the surface enrichment of aluminum favoring the metalosiloxane and the metal–phosphonic bonds with increasing likely reaction sites, thus promoting the formation of a more homogeneous and compact coating with improved resistance.     

Studies on the effect of electrode pretreatment on the coverage of self-assembled monolayers of dodecanethiol on gold by electrochemical reductive desorption determination

This paper examines the effect of five major pretreatments on the surface coverage Γ(m) of dodecanethiol self-assembled monolayer on polycrystalline gold electrode (C(12)SH-SAMs-Au). It is based on the electrochemical reductive desorption in the alkaline solution by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The five different pretreatment methods include: aqua regia pretreatment, reductive annealed pretreatment, UV/O(3) pretreatment, piranha reagents pretreatment and simple polishing pretreatment, and then all above pretreatments following the same procedure of electrochemistry cleaning. The experimental results show that the surface coverage Γ(m) for C(12)SH-SAMs-Au by the five pretreatment methods are: aqua regia pretreatment (8.0 × 10(-10) mol cm(-2)) ~ reductive annealed pretreatment (7.8 × 10(-10) mol cm(-2)) > UV/O(3) pretreatment (5.0 × 10(-10) mol cm(-2)) ~ piranha reagents pretreatment (4.1 × 10(-10) mol cm(-2)) ~ simple polishing pretreatment (4.0 × 10(-10) mol cm(-2)). This indicates that Au surfaces pretreated by aqua regia and reductive annealing can achieve the best results, and the Γ(m) values obtained are consistent with the theoretical coverage values (Γ(m) ≈ 8.0 × 10(-10) mol cm(-2)); however, the Γ(m) values for other three pretreatment methods (UV/O(3), piranha reagents and simple polishing) are not satisfactory, obtaining only almost half of the theoretical Γ(m) value. Thus, we recommend aqua regia and reductive annealed pretreatments as the best methods for self-assembling the alkyl thiol monolayer (C(n)SH-SAMs-Au), whereas UV/O(3), piranha reagents and simple polishing pretreatments are not recommended.     

One‐step electrochemical deposition to achieve superhydrophobic cobalt incorporated amorphous carbon‐based film with self‐cleaning and anti‐corrosion

Exploiting a superhydrophobic surface is very significant due to its excellent water repellency which has many practical applications in various fields. In this work, the cobalt incorporated amorphous carbon‐based (Co/a‐C:H) film was prepared successfully on Si substrate via a simple 1‐step electrochemical deposition where electrochemical deposition technology was using cobalt (II) acetylacetonate methanol solution as electrolyte under high voltage, atmospheric pressure, and low temperature. Surprisingly, the as‐prepared film showed a superior superhydrophobic surface with a water contact angle of 153 ± 1° and a sliding angle of 7.6° without any further modification of low surface energy materials. Especially, the tape adhesive, corrosion resistance, and self‐cleaning tests demonstrated that the as‐prepared carbon‐based film could possess fairly well adhesion, superior anti‐corrosion resistance, and self‐cleaning ability, respectively. It indicated that the superhydrophobic Co/a‐C:H film might have potential promising applications in the field of anti‐fouling, anti‐corrosion, and drag resistance, such as the above‐deck structures on icebreaker vessels, ship hulls, and offshore wind turbine blades.     

Detergent-Induced Removal of β-Lactoglobulin from Stainless Steel Surfaces as Influenced by Surface Pretreatment

The adsorption of β-lactoglobulin to stainless steel and its subsequent removal were followed using in situ null ellipsometry. The influence of the surface pretreatment on the protein removal by the surfactant SDS and by sodium hydroxide was studied. All surfaces were precleaned in strongly alkaline solution. Some surfaces received no further pretreatment, while others were either passivated in nitric acid or plasma-cleaned prior to experiments. Stainless steel surfaces subjected to different surface pretreatments showed considerable differences in cleaning behavior. Cleaning, using NaOH, of surfaces which had been precleaned with alkali only or with plasma resulted in practically complete β-lactoglobulin removal. In contrast, appreciable amounts of protein remained on passivated stainless steel. Protein removal by SDS was limited and comparable for all three surface pretreatments investigated. Only minor effects on the protein adsorption tendency were observed. The amounts of β-lactoglobulin adsorbed tended to be somewhat lower on the passivated surfaces.     

Role of hydroxyl group in cerium hydroxycinnamate on corrosion inhibition of mild steel in 0.6 M NaCl solution

The corrosion inhibition mechanism of cerium hydroxycinnamate compounds has been studied and compared as an effective corrosion inhibitor for steel in an aqueous 0.6?M NaCl solution. Surface analysis results showed that the surface of steel coupons exposed to solutions containing cerium hydroxycinnamate compounds has less signs of corrosion attack due to a formation of the protective film, while the surface of mild steel coupons exposed to 0.6?M chloride solution without inhibitor additions was severely corroded due to pitting. Electrochemical results performed a good inhibition performance and information of the formed protective deposit that hinders the electrochemical corrosion reactions with a dominance of anodic inhibition mechanism. The results also indicated that the addition of cerium hydroxycinnamate compounds to 0.6?M NaCl solution could mitigate electrochemical corrosion reactions, reduce protective and double layer CPE magnitudes, and improve protective and charge transfer resistances. Furthermore, cerium 2-hydroxycinnamate showed better efficient corrosion inhibitor in comparison with cerium 4-hydroxycinnamate for steel in aqueous media containing 0.6?M chloride ion.     

Surface characterization of growth process for cerium conversion coating on magnesium alloy and its anticorrosion mechanism

Cerium conversion coating is successfully deposited on magnesium alloy AZ31 for corrosion protection. Deposition time on the influence of cerium conversion coating morphology, composition, and electrochemical properties has been investigated in detail. Morphological observation reveals that the cerium conversion coating is a porous agglomerate nanostructure. XPS indicates that the coating exhibits a time‐dependent ingredient. Moreover, the coating is considered as a combination of magnesium oxide/hydroxide and cerium (III) and (IV) oxides/hydroxides. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicate that the anticorrosion coating exhibits the best properties during deposition of 5 min. In view of the analysis, the anticorrosion mechanism is pioneered proposed because of the formation of H‐bonding layer, which forms a reasonable barrier to Cl^? ions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Summary of findings from the Biomass Refining Consortium for Applied Fundamentals and Innovation (CAFI): corn stover pretreatment

The Biomass Refining Consortium for Applied Fundamentals and Innovation, with members from Auburn University, Dartmouth College, Michigan State University, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Purdue University, Texas A&M University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of California at Riverside, has developed comparative data on the conversion of corn stover to sugars by several leading pretreatment technologies. These technologies include ammonia fiber expansion pretreatment, ammonia recycle percolation pretreatment, dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment, flowthrough pretreatment (hot water or dilute acid), lime pretreatment, controlled pH hot water pretreatment, and sulfur dioxide steam explosion pretreatment. Over the course of two separate USDA- and DOE-funded projects, these pretreatment technologies were applied to two different corn stover batches, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis of the remaining solids from each pretreatment technology using identical enzyme preparations, enzyme loadings, and enzymatic hydrolysis assays. Identical analytical methods and a consistent material balance methodology were employed to develop comparative sugar yield data for each pretreatment and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. Although there were differences in the profiles of sugar release, with the more acidic pretreatments releasing more xylose directly in the pretreatment step than the alkaline pretreatments, the overall glucose and xylose yields (monomers + oligomers) from combined pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis process steps were very similar for all of these leading pretreatment technologies. Some of the water-only and alkaline pretreatment technologies resulted in significant amounts of residual xylose oligomers still remaining after enzymatic hydrolysis that may require specialized enzyme preparations to fully convert xylose oligomers to monomers.     

钼酸盐封闭后处理的热镀锌钢板硅烷膜的耐蚀性

为进一步增强硅烷膜的耐蚀性, 将硅烷化热镀锌钢板用钼酸盐溶液进行封闭后处理, 并采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、中性盐雾(NSS)实验、盐水全浸实验和电化学技术研究了所得复合膜层的表面形貌和耐蚀性能. 结果表明: 经钼酸盐溶液封闭处理后, 硅烷膜的孔隙被填充, 在锌层表面形成了由硅烷膜和钼酸盐转化膜构成的连续完整致密的复合膜; 复合膜的耐蚀性能明显提高, 且与钼酸盐溶液的封闭时间有关, 封闭60 s时所形成的复合膜的耐蚀性最佳. 在5%(w, 质量分数)NaCl溶液中的电化学测量结果表明: 硅烷化热镀锌钢板经钼酸盐溶液封闭处理后, 同时抑制了腐蚀过程中的阳极和阴极反应, 但主要是抑制阴极反应, 导致腐蚀电流密度明显减小, 发挥了单一硅烷膜和单一钼酸盐转化膜腐蚀防护的协同效应, 腐蚀防护效率高达99.1%; 随浸泡时间延长, 试样低频扩散阻抗先增大后减小, 表明膜层具有一定的“自愈”能力, 其耐蚀性优于常规铬酸盐钝化膜.     

A study on the electroanalytical performance of a bismuth film-coated and Nafion-coated glassy carbon electrode in alkaline solutions

Bismuth film electrodes are widely used for determination of heavy metal ions in acidic solutions, while alkaline solutions are rarely employed. We have compared the deposition of Bi(III) and Pb(II) on a Nafion-coated glassy carbon electrode in alkaline and acidic solutions. The results indicate that both Bi(III) and Pb(II) can be deposited in either alkaline or acidic solution, but the quantity of Pb(II) deposited in alkaline solution is less than that in acidic solution. The modified electrode was used to determine heavy metal ions in both alkaline and acidic solutions, and the results of the method agree well with those of atomic absorption spectroscopy.     

Water‐based ZrO2 pretreatment for AA2024 aluminum alloy

Design, development and scale‐up of environmentally friendly coatings are very important in order to replace chromate‐based coatings for aluminum alloys. Sol–gel materials are candidates for use in protective coating applications, as it is possible to form highly adherent and chemically inert oxide films on metal substrates. ZrO₂ pretreatments were developed by means of sol–gel technology. An inorganic salt was employed as Zr precursor in an aqueous solution. The deposition was initially carried out on AA2024 by means of dip and spray technology at laboratory scale. Corrosion inhibitors were introduced to improve corrosion behavior of the films. At a later stage, coating deposition was carried out with a robot‐controlled air‐pressure gun in spraying cabins in order to evaluate industrial production of the pretreatments. Film morphology and composition were investigated by means of SEM‐EDXS and GDOES. The electrochemical behavior of the ZrO₂ pretreatments was investigated by means of potentiodynamic polarization. The water‐based ZrO₂ pretreatment investigated in this work is thin and well adherent on the substrate. Barrier properties are similar to those of chromate conversion coating. Results on samples produced with robot‐controlled air‐pressure gun indicate that ZrO₂ pretreatments are suitable for industrial application. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conversion‐coating treatment applied to in situ TiB2p reinforced Al?Si‐alloy composite for corrosion protection

In this work, continuous conversion coatings on the surface of in situ TiB₂ particulate reinforced A356 composite were formed successfully by cerium surface treatment for the first time. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed that the conversion coatings were inhomogeneous and could be divided into two types of regions, namely, fine crack region and noncrack region. Many cerium‐rich nano‐nodules were uniformly distributed in the whole coatings. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis testified that the crack coatings mainly covered the interdendritic sites occupied by TiB₂ particulates and Si phases. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that the conversion coatings were composed of CeO₂, Ce₂O₃, Ce(OH)₄, Ce(OH)₃, and a little amount of Al₂O₃. The electrochemical polarization tests showed that the cerium‐conversion treatment markedly improved the corrosion resistance of in situ TiB_2p/A356 composite in chloride environment, and the protection degree of the coatings was superior to that of conventional chromate‐conversion coating. According to these results, the formation mechanism of cerium‐conversion coatings was discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemical Cleaning of Microfiltration Membranes Fouled by Whey

Millipore hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microfiltration membranes were used for whey processing. Fouled membranes were cleaned with acid (HCl), alkaline (NaOH) and surfactant (Triton‐X100). The latter resulted in maximum flux recovery and resistance removal. Hydrochloric acid had a moderate effect and sodium hydroxide was the weakest cleaning agent. This is due to the cleaning strength of emulsifiers compared to acid or alkali. However acids are more efficient than alkaline solutions for removal of mineral compounds which remain on the membrane surface. Cleaning efficiency depends on the concentration of cleaning agent being higher for higher surfactant concentration. For acids and alkali, the efficiency increases with increasing the concentration of the reagent reaches a maximum (optimum concentration) and then decreases. This can be explained by changes in permeability of the deposit layer with the concentration of the cleaning agent. Another explanation is the breakage of proteins by acid or alkali which produces more fouling materials and causes less cleaning efficiency. Operating conditions affect the cleaning process. At higher stirring speeds (turbulent flow) or longer cleaning time better removal of deposits and higher cleaning efficiency were observed. The sequential cleaning process may or may not improve the cleaning efficiency. When acidic cleaning was followed by washing with a surfactant an improvement was achieved. This can be attributed to the incomplete removal of deposits by acid. However further cleaning with acid can not improve the cleaning efficiency. During whey processing fouling occurs by deposition of foulants of mostly proteins and macromolecules on the membrane surface or in the membrane matrix. Large substances (compared to the membrane pores) settle on the membrane surface and the small species penetrate and are adsorbed in the membrane pores. Cleaning dissolves and removes the adsorbed foulants from the membrane.     

Development of cerium‐based conversion coatings on 2024‐T3 Al alloy after rare‐earth desmutting

The deposition of Ce‐based conversion coatings onto 2024‐T3 Al alloy sheet was studied using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The Al sheet was pretreated with an alkaline clean followed by treatment in a Ce(IV) and H₂SO₄‐based desmutter. The Ce(IV)‐based conversion coating solution contained 0.1 M CeCl₃·7H₂O and 3% H₂O₂ and was acidified to pH 1.9 with HCl. Upon immersion, there was an induction period that included activation followed by aluminium oxide growth over the matrix and cerium oxide deposition onto cathodic intermetallic particles and along rolling marks on the surface. After the induction period cerium oxide deposited generally across the whole surface and thickened. The strongest anodic sites initially were adjacent to the intermetallic cathodes and resulted in aluminium dissolution but also oxide thickening. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pretreatment effects on the electrochemical responses for aluminium–magnesium alloy AA5083 corrosion behaviour

Electrochemical investigations on aluminium alloy corrosion in a sodium chloride solution have been performed by potentiostatic and potentiodynamic (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) methods. Measurements have been obtained after mechanical polishing or electrochemical stripping in deaerated or not solution. All the results are strongly depending on the pretreatments that are undergone in the laboratory before the experimental measurements. Mechanical polishing induces huge effects on the surface of the analysed samples and a long time is necessary to avoid the effects of this treatment; instead, an electrochemical cleaning does not modify the surface and results can be regarded more rapidly as significant of the surface with higher reproducibility.     

Detergent-Induced Removal of beta-Lactoglobulin from Stainless Steel Surfaces as Influenced by Surface Pretreatment

The adsorption of beta-lactoglobulin to stainless steel and its subsequent removal were followed using in situ null ellipsometry. The influence of the surface pretreatment on the protein removal by the surfactant SDS and by sodium hydroxide was studied. All surfaces were precleaned in strongly alkaline solution. Some surfaces received no further pretreatment, while others were either passivated in nitric acid or plasma-cleaned prior to experiments. Stainless steel surfaces subjected to different surface pretreatments showed considerable differences in cleaning behavior. Cleaning, using NaOH, of surfaces which had been precleaned with alkali only or with plasma resulted in practically complete beta-lactoglobulin removal. In contrast, appreciable amounts of protein remained on passivated stainless steel. Protein removal by SDS was limited and comparable for all three surface pretreatments investigated. Only minor effects on the protein adsorption tendency were observed. The amounts of beta-lactoglobulin adsorbed tended to be somewhat lower on the passivated surfaces. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

Inhibition effect of cerium in hybrid sol–gel films on aluminium alloy AA2024

Aluminium alloys such as AA2024 are susceptible to severe corrosion attack in aggressive solutions (e.g. chlorides). Conversion coatings, like chromate, or rare earth conversion coatings are usually applied in order to improve corrosion behaviour of aluminium alloys. Methacrylate‐based hybrid films deposited with sol–gel technique might be an alternative to conversion coatings. Barrier properties, paint adhesion and possibly self‐healing ability are important aspects for replacement of chromate‐based pre‐treatments. This work evaluates the behaviour of cerium as corrosion inhibitor in methacrylate silane‐based hybrid films containing SiO₂ nano‐particles on AA2024. Hybrid films were deposited on aluminium alloy AA2024 by means of dip‐coating technique. Two different types of coating were applied: a non‐inhibited film consisting of two layers (non‐inhibited system) and a similar film doped with cerium nitrate in an intermediate layer (inhibited system). The film thickness was 5 µm for the non‐inhibited system and 8 µm for the inhibited system. Film morphology and composition were investigated by means of GDOES (glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy). Moreover, GDOES qualitative composition profiles were recorded in order to investigate Ce content in the hybrid films as a function of immersion time in 0.05 M NaCl solution. The electrochemical behaviour of the hybrid films was studied in the same electrolyte by means of EIS technique (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy). Electrochemical measurements provide evidence that the inhibited system containing cerium displays recovery of electrochemical properties. This behaviour is not observed for the non‐inhibited coating. GDOES measurements provide evidence that the behaviour of inhibited system can be related to migration of Ce species to the substrate/coating interface. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

AZ31镁合金表面聚吡咯的化学氧化合成及其耐蚀性能

以对甲苯磺酸钠为掺杂剂, 三氯化铁为氧化剂, 用化学氧化聚合法在AZ31 镁合金表面制备聚吡咯(PPy)膜. 采用傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱分析了镁合金表面聚吡咯膜结构, 通过电化学极化曲线、电化学阻抗谱(EIS)研究了其耐蚀性能, 通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线能量散射谱(EDS)分析了表面形貌和成分. 和镁合金裸样相比, 聚吡咯膜对镁合金腐蚀有一定的抑制作用. 硅烷预处理改善了镁合金/聚吡咯体系的耐腐蚀性能, 使腐蚀电位较镁合金裸样正移了110 mV, 电流密度减小了约2个数量级.     

Corrosion resistance and durability of superhydrophobic surface formed on magnesium alloy coated with nanostructured cerium oxide film and fluoroalkylsilane molecules in corrosive NaCl aqueous solution

The corrosion resistant performance and durability of the superhydrophobic surface on magnesium alloy coated with nanostructured cerium oxide film and fluoroalkylsilane molecules in corrosive NaCl aqueous solution were investigated using electrochemical and contact angle measurements. The durability of the superhydrophobic surface in corrosive 5 wt% NaCl aqueous solution was elucidated. The corrosion resistant performance of the superhydrophobic surface formed on magnesium alloy was estimated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The EIS measurements and appropriate equivalent circuit models revealed that the superhydrophobic surface considerably improved the corrosion resistant performance of magnesium alloy AZ31. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard D 3359-02 cross cut tape test was performed to investigate the adhesion of the superhydrophobic film to the magnesium alloy surface. The corrosion formation mechanism of the superhydrophobic surface formed on the magnesium alloy was also proposed.     

Effect of pH value on the microstructure and deNO(x) catalytic performance of titanate nanotubes loaded CeO2

The relationship between catalytic performance and pH value of post-treatment of the catalyst supports-titanate materials was investigated and discussed. Three types of titanate nanotubes (TNTs) that are acidic TNTs (TNTs-1.6, pH value at 1.6), neutral TNTs (TNTs-7), and alkaline TNTs (TNTs-12) were synthesized by hydrothermal method with the controlled washing pH value and then were used as the catalyst supports for ceria. These titanate-supported ceria catalysts showed extremely different performance for the selective catalytic reduction in NO. The pH value had a notable effect on the structure and composition of titanate nanotubes and further affected the state and redox property of cerium oxides. The structure of TNTs-1.6, TNTs-7, and TNTs-12 were identified as anatase-like structure, protonated titanate (H(2)Ti(3)O(7)), and Na-containing titanate, respectively. Indeed, the residual sodium (TNTs-12) was harmful to ceria, but the presence of water in the interlayer (TNTs-7) was beneficial to the stability of nanotube structure. Therefore, TNTs-7 doped ceria showed the best SCR activity among these tested samples.