Electrochemical characterization of organic coatings for protection of historic steel artefacts

Electrochemical techniques are mainly known in the field of cultural heritage conservation as a tool for the elimination of corrosion layers or the removal of chlorides. However, these techniques are also a valuable tool for assessing the anti-corrosive efficiency of protective coatings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of different coatings for their use in metallic heritage conservation using polarisation resistance (R _p) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Carbon steel samples were prepared to simulate the surface composition and morphology of historic steel artefacts, and coated by a conservator–restorer following the common practices in conservation treatments. Three commercial organic coatings have been studied: a microcrystalline wax (Renaissance™) and a methyl acrylate/ethyl methacrylate copolymer resin (Paraloid™ B-72) dissolved in acetone—both them commonly used in conservation and restoration treatments—and an ethylene copolymer wax emulsion in water (Poligen™ ES-91009) that has not been used so far for this purpose. Four commercial corrosion inhibitor additives were added to the Paraloid™ B-72 resin and Poligen™ ES-91009 wax. The additives were commercial preparations with the following known active components: a blend of triazoles (M435), an ammonium salt of tricarboxylic acid (M370), a calcium sulphonate (M109), and a bis-oxazoline (Alkaterge-T™). R _p and EIS results showed that the best protection of the steel specimens was afforded by Poligen™ ES-91009 when applied in thick layers. None of the additives have shown a clear improvement of the protection properties of the coatings, and one of them impaired the barrier effect of the coating.     

Corrosion studies of polyaniline/coconut oil poly(esteramide urethane) coatings

Advancements in the area of conducting polymers have been towards their application as effective corrosion protective coatings to replace the use of heavy metals as additives in the coatings industries, which are now considered to be an environmental as well as health hazard. With the aim to utilize a sustainable resource based polymer for the development of an anti‐corrosive conducting coating material, coconut oil based conducting blend coatings of polyaniline and poly(esteramide urethane) were prepared by loading different ratios (2, 4 and 8 wt%) of polyaniline in poly(esteramide urethane). Then their physico‐chemical, thermal, morphological, conductivity and anti‐corrosive coating characteristics were investigated. The effect of a 2 year environmental aging process on the coated samples was analyzed by thermal methods as well as by corrosion studies. Results showed that the corrosion protective performance of the blend coatings was far superior than that of plane poly(esteramide urethane). These coatings showed enhanced corrosion protection in acid as well as alkaline environments upto 360 and 192 hr respectively. Conductivity of the blends was found to be in the range 2.5 × 10^?5–5.7 × 10^?4 S/cm^?1. An increase in the thermal stability of the blend coatings and a decrease in their conductivity was noticed in the aged samples which was attributed to the crosslinking effect. The corrosion protective performance of the coatings remained almost unaffected even after 2 years of aging. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polyurethane-TiO2 nanocomposite coatings from sunflower- oil-based amide diol as soft segment

Abstract

Vegetable oil based environmentally friendly polyurethane-TiO₂ nanocomposite coatings have been synthesized by using sunflower oil derived diol, toluene diisocyanate and TiO₂ nanoparticles. The chemical structure was confirmed by FTIR and NMR techniques while physico-chemical testing was carried out by standard laboratory methods. Physico-mechanical and anticorrosive tests of the coatings (in different corrosive media) have been investigated by standard methods. In addition to this the morphology and thermal stability behavior of the coatings have been carefully investigated by different techniques like XRD, TEM, TGA/DTG and DSC. The comparison of the performance of nanocomposites with the respective virgin polyurethane coatings reveals that the dispersion of nanoTiO₂ enhanced the mechanical, corrosion and thermal stability behavior of the polymer. The synthesized nanocomposites can be used safely upto 250–275?°C. These sunflower oil derived polyurethane nanocomposites can be used in the world of protective coatings, as an alternative of petroleum derived corrosion protective coating materials.     

Influence of the deposition method, temperature and deposition time on the corrosion inhibition of lead dodecanoate coatings deposited on lead surfaces

Electrochemical impedance measurements have been used to investigate the influence of the deposition method, including time and temperature, upon the corrosion inhibition characteristics of lead dodecanoate coatings on lead electrodes. The results were analysed using multivariate statistics and show that, in general, these easily prepared coatings are very protective against corrosion. The temperature proves to be an important parameter for the quality and the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the coating. A comparison between two different electrochemically assisted deposition methods, immersion using a reduction pretreatment and cyclic voltammetry, does not show significant differences. Using the immersion technique at room temperature, the deposition time was tested as the third influencing parameter for the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the deposited lead dodecanoate coatings. A longer deposition time of the lead into the sodium dodecanoate solution provides a layer with a somewhat higher corrosion resistance.     

Electrochemical corrosion behavior of nanocrystalline zinc coatings in 3.5% NaCl solutions

The corrosion behavior of electrodeposited nanocrystalline (NC) zinc coatings with an average grain size of 43 nm was investigated in 3.5% NaCl solutions in comparison with conventional polycrystalline (PC) zinc coatings by using electrochemical measurement and surface analysis techniques. Both polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results indicate that NC and PC coatings are in active state at the corrosion potentials, and NC coatings have much higher corrosion resistance than PC ones. The corrosion products on both coating surfaces are mainly composed of ZnO and Zn₅(OH)₈Cl₂·H₂O, but the corrosion products can form a relatively more protective layer on NC coating surfaces than on PC coatings. The EIS characteristics and corrosion processes of PC and NC zinc coatings during 330 h of immersion were discussed in detail.     

Evaluation of the corrosion resistance of electroless Ni-P and Ni-P composite coatings by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Electroless Ni-P composite coatings have gained a good deal of popularity and acceptance in recent years as they provide considerable improvement of desirable qualities such as hardness, wear, abrasion resistance, etc. The disagreement among researchers on the corrosion behaviour of these coatings warrants a thorough investigation. Among the various techniques available for the determination of corrosion resistance, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is considered to be superior as it provides not only an assessment of the corrosion resistance of different deposits but also enables the mechanistic pathway by which the deposits become corroded to be determined. The present investigation focuses on the evaluation of the corrosion resistance of electroless Ni-P and Ni-P-Si₃N₄, Ni-P-CeO₂ and Ni-P-TiO₂ composite coatings produced using an acidic hypophosphite-reduced electroless nickel bath, using EIS. The study makes evident that the same fundamental reaction is occurring on all the coatings of the present study but over a different effective area in each case. The charge transfer resistance of electroless Ni-P and Ni-P composite deposits are in the range 32,253–90,700 Ω cm², whereas the capacitances of these coatings are in the range 11–17 μF/cm². The improved corrosion resistance obtained for electroless Ni-P and Ni-P composite coatings is due to the enrichment of phosphorus on the electrode surface, which enables the preferential hydrolysis of phosphorus over that of nickel. The better corrosion resistance obtained for electroless Ni-P composite coatings can be ascribed to the decrease in the effective metallic area prone to corrosion. Among the three electroless Ni-P composite coatings, the corrosion resistance is in the following order: Ni-P-CeO₂=Ni-P-Si₃N₄>Ni-P-TiO₂. Electronic Publication     

Improved self-healing performance of polymeric nanocomposites reinforced with talc nanoparticles (TNPs) and urea-formaldehyde microcapsules (UFMCs)

The present work reports the self-healing performance of the epoxy based polymeric nanocomposite coatings containing different concentrations (1 and 3 wt%) of talc nanoparticles (TNPs) modified with sodium nitrate (NaNO₃), and a fixed amount (5 wt%) of urea-formaldehyde microcapsules (UFMCs) encapsulated with linseed oil (LO). The polymeric nanocomposites were developed, coated on polished steel substrates, and their structural, thermal, and self-healing characteristics were investigated using various techniques. The successful loading (~wt 10%) of NaNO₃ into TNPs, which can be ascribed to the involvement of physio-chemical adsorption mechanism, is validated and proceeds without altering the TNPs parent lamellae structure. The performed tests elucidated that the self-release of the corrosion inhibitor (NaNO₃) from TNPs is sensitive to the pH of the solution and immersion time. In addition, the release of the linseed oil (self-healing agent) from UFMCs in response to the external damage was found to be a time-dependent process. The superior self-healing and corrosion inhibition performance of the protective polymeric nanocomposites coatings containing 3 wt% TNPs and UFMCs/LO are proven using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies. A careful selection of smart carriers, inhibitor, and self-healing agent compatible with polymeric matrix has enabled to attain decent self-healing and convincing corrosion inhibition efficiency of 99.9% and 99.5%, respectively, for polymeric nanocomposites coatings containing 3 and 1 wt% TNPs, making them attractive for many industrial applications.     

Graphene and Graphene/Polymer Composites as the Most Efficient Protective Coatings for Steel,Aluminum and Copper in Corrosive Media: A Review of Recent Studies

The metal corrosion is considered as a severe threat to the national economy and industry structure, capable of triggering significant economic losses and severe damages, involving innumerable fields in daily life and industries. This review provides an overview of the physioelectrochemical studies on anticorrosive properties of various types of graphene coatings. Required electrochemical techniques for the investigation of anticorrosive efficiency, various types of graphene‐based materials coatings along with different routes to provide desirable coated layers are discussed in detail. After all, we intend to show that the modified graphene nanosheets can be regarded as effective protective layers against metal corrosion not only because of their extraordinary mechanical strength and toughness, which can be reached with a vastly thin layer, but also for their high transparency, cost‐efficiency and stability.     

Synthesize,Characterization, and Corrosion Inhibition of Polypyrrole Thin Films on Copper

Polypyrrole (PPy) coatings were synthesized on copper by electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole monomer in aqueous acidic and basic solutions by cyclic voltammetry. The coatings were characterized with CV, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The corrosion protection aspects of PPy coatings have been investigated using the potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The potentiodynamic polarization measurements show that the PPy coating has ability to protect the copper against corrosion. It was concluded that a complete corrosion protective PPy film could not be obtained through direct electro-oxidation procedure. This may be due to copper dissolution in the monomer oxidation potential range.     

Poly(3-octylthiophene) and polystyrene blends thermally treated as coatings for corrosion protection of stainless steel 304

The effect of thermal annealing of poly(3-octylthiophene) (P3OT) and polystyrene (PS) blend coatings on the corrosion inhibition of stainless steel in a 0.5 M NaCl solution was investigated. P3OT was synthesized by direct oxidation of the 3-octylthiophene monomer with ferric chloride (FeCl₃) as oxidant. Stainless steel electrodes with mirror finish were coated with P3OT/PS blend by drop-casting technique. In order to study the temperature effect on the function like physical barrier against the corrosive species of P3OT/PS polymeric blend, the coatings were thermally annealed at three different temperatures (55?°C, 80?°C, and 100?°C). The corrosion behavior of P3OT/PS-coated stainless steel was investigated in 0.5 M NaCl at room temperature, by using potentiodynamic polarization curves, linear polarization resistance (LPR), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The LPR values indicated that, at 100?°C, P3OT/PS coatings showed a better protection of the 304 stainless steel in 0.5 M NaCl; the corrosion rate diminished in two orders of magnitude with regard to the bare stainless steel. The superficial morphology of the coatings before and after the corrosive environment was researched by atomic force microscopy, optic microscopy, and scanning electronic microscopy. Morphological study showed that the increased temperature benefited the integration of the two polymeric phases, which improved the barrier properties of the coatings. The coating/metal adhesion and the coating thickness were evaluated. The temperature increases the adhesion degree coating/substrate; thus, the coating annealed at 100?°C showed the best adhesion.     

Use of EIS for the evaluation of the protective properties of coatings for metallic cultural heritage: a review

The best way to reduce the degradation of metallic cultural heritage is through preventive conservation measures but, in many cases, it is not possible to obtain adequate environmental conditions, and it is necessary to apply coatings to the artefacts in order to protect them against corrosion. There is a continuous search in the metal conservation community for new and improved coatings that provide a better protection to the objects whilst respecting the special requirements of the conservation–restoration ethics. Whilst electrochemical techniques have a long tradition in conservation–restoration treatments for metallic cultural heritage, the evaluation of protective coatings using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has only been used very recently. EIS is a very well-established method to investigate metal coatings for general purposes and has many advantages that make it especially suitable for testing coatings for metallic works of art. This paper makes a review of the use of EIS for testing coatings for metallic cultural heritage from the first publications in the mid-1990s to the last papers. The experimental setup used, the types of coatings and metals investigated and the interpretation of the results are reviewed and compared with the use of EIS for testing general purpose anti-corrosive coatings.     

Electrochemical corrosion behaviors and corrosion protection properties of Ni–Co alloy coating prepared on sintered NdFeB permanent magnet

In this study, a protective Ni–Co alloy coating was prepared on sintered NdFeB magnet applying electrodeposition technique. A pure nickel coating was also studied for a comparison. The microstructure, surface morphologies, and chemical composition of coatings were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and energy dispersive spectroscopy, respectively. The corrosion protection properties of coatings for NdFeB magnet in neutral 3.5 wt.% NaCl solutions were evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The microstructure and surface morphologies analysis showed that the addition of cobalt element into matrix metal Ni altered the preferential orientation of pure nickel coating from (2 0 0) crystal face for pure nickel coating to (1 1 1) crystal face for Ni–Co alloy coating, and made the surface morphologies more compact and uniform due to the grain-refining. The results of potentiodynamic polarization test showed that compared with pure nickel coating, Ni–Co alloy coating exhibited much nobler corrosion potential (E _corr) and lower corrosion current density (j _corr), indicating better anticorrosive properties. The long-term immersion test by dint of EIS indicated that the Ni–Co alloy coating still presented high impedance value of 1.9 × 10⁵ Ω cm² with the immersion time of 576 h indicating the excellent anticorrosive properties, and corrosion protection properties of nickel coating for NdFeB magnet practically disappeared with the immersion time of 144 h, which also indicated that the Ni–Co alloy coating provided better corrosion protection properties for the NdFeB magnet compared with nickel coating.     

Inorganic–organic sol gel hybrid coatings for corrosion protection of metals

Inorganic–organic hybrid coatings by sol–gel process are very suitable for fighting corrosion. Inorganic sols in hybrid coatings not only increase adhesion by forming chemical bonds between metals and hybrid coatings, but also improve comprehensive performances of polymer in the coatings. Different organic polymers or organic functionalities are introduced into gel network to achieve tailored properties, such as hydrophobic properties, increasing cross-linking density, etc. As for corrosion protection of metals organic components of hybrid coatings are selected to repel water and form dense thick films and reduce coating porosity. The factors, such as the ratio of inorganic and organic components, cure temperature, pigments in hybrid coatings, need to be optimized for attaining hybrid films with the maximum corrosion resistance. Electro-deposition technique offers relatively thick homogeneous defect-free hybrid coatings in comparison to dip or spin coating techniques. Green cerium ions and non-ionizable organic inhibitors are more developed in hybrid coatings nowadays than other corrosion inhibitors. Long-term corrosion resistance techniques of inhibitors are discussed. The inhibitors entrapped in the nanocontainers are doped in hybrid films to prolong release of the inhibitors to damaged zones, which is discussed in detail. Among all the nanocontainers of corrosion inhibitors the prospective techniques which show superior corrosion protection are cyclodextrin/organic inhibitor inclusion complexes and layer by layer assembly of organic corrosion inhibitors in nanocontainers. Super-hydrophobic property of hybrid coatings derives from low surface tension and surface roughness of hybrid coatings, which endues the films with excellent corrosion protection for metals, but the durable property of super-hydrophobic coatings needs to be improved for industrial application. An ideal multiple model of hybrid coatings for superior anti-corrosion of metals proposed is a combination of super-hydrophobic hybrid coatings and underlying hybrid coatings doped with sustained release of corrosion inhibitors on metal substrates.     

High Temperature Corrosion Resistance of Coatings Deposited by Hvof for Application in Steam Turbines

The geothermal steam turbines are exposed to mechanisms of corrosion/erosion that weakens its components and reduces their useful life. Due to this problem work has been done in application and characterization of coating in solid state by means of the technique of high-velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF), evaluating the corrosion rate (V_corr) at high temperature of MCrAlY and Diamalloy 4006 coatings deposited on stainless steel SS304. Test was performance in an Autoclave at 170 ⁰C using a modified geothermal fluid as electrolyte. Open circuit potential was monitoring during 24 hours until the system reached the equilibrium. After that, Polarization and Impedance Spectroscopy techniques were used to evaluate the specimens. For microstructure characterization; X–ray Diffraction (XRD), electron sweep microscope (SEM) and Optical microscope were applied. Results show that both coatings (Diamalloy 4006 and MCrAlY), have low current density compare with the substrate, which is an indicative of a lower corrosion rate due to the passive behavior of the species deposited on the Surface of the coating.     

Experimental and theoretical investigations of adsorption of fexofenadine at mild steel/hydrochloric acid interface as corrosion inhibitor

The present study examines the effect of fexofenadine, an antihistamine drug, on corrosion inhibition of mild steel in molar hydrochloric acid solution using different techniques under the influence of various experimental conditions. Results revealed that fexofenadine is an effective inhibitor and percent inhibition efficiency increased with its concentration; reaching a maximum value of 97% at a concentration of 3.0 × 10⁻⁴ M. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) observations of steel surface confirmed the protective role of the studied drug. Polarization studies showed that fexofenadine is a mixed-type inhibitor. The adsorption of the inhibitor on mild steel surface obeyed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm with free energy of adsorption (∆G°_ads) of −40 kJ mol⁻¹. Energy gaps for the interactions between mild steel surface and fexofenadine molecule were found to be close to each other showing that fexofenadine has the capacity to behave as both electron donor and electron acceptor. The results obtained from the different corrosion evaluation techniques are in good agreement.     

Preparation of Ni–YSZ thin and thick films on metallic interconnects as cell supports. Applications as anode for SOFC

In this work, we propose the preparation of a duplex anodic layer composed of both a thin (100 nm) and a thick film (10 μm) with Ni–YSZ material. The support of this anode is a metallic substrate, which is the interconnect of the SOFC unit cell. The metallic support limits the temperature of thermal treatment at 800 °C to keep a good interconnect mechanical behaviour and to reduce corrosion. We have chosen to elaborate anodic coatings by sol–gel route coupled with dip-coating process, which are low cost techniques and allow working with moderate temperatures. Thin films are obtained by dipping interconnect substrate into a sol, and thick films into an optimized slurry. After thermal treatment at only 800 °C, anodic coatings are adherent and homogeneous. Thin films have compact microstructures that confer ceramic protective barrier on metal surface. Further coatings of 10 μm thick are porous and constitute the active anodic material.     

Hybrid sol–gel coatings doped with transition metal ions for the protection of AA 2024-T3

The protective capabilities of sol–gel coatings are determined by their physical barrier properties. For an effective protection, a homogenous crack-free material is required, which prevents from attacks of corrosive species. When the coating is damaged, active corrosion protection is usually achieved by the use of inhibitors. Among the different inhibitors rare earth ions and especially cerium have shown effective inhibiting properties. Due to the complexity of the corrosion processes, a combination of inhibitors is expected to be superior to a monocomponent inhibiting. The aim of this study was to prove which other ions, used in combination with cerium, can improve the corrosion protection abilities of hybrid silica based inorganic–organic sol–gel coatings applied on aluminium alloy 2024 substrates. Mixtures of cerium nitrate with two other potential inhibitor substances were incorporated into a sol–gel matrix and their behaviour in neutral salt spray test and during EIS measurements was investigated. The Ce–P–Pr inhibitor combination (Ce³⁺, PO₄ ³⁻, Pr³⁺) has shown the best long-term corrosion protection properties at low doping levels.     

Improvement in corrosion resistance of micro arc oxidation coating formed on AZ91D magnesium alloy via applying a nano-crystalline sol–gel layer

Although magnesium is used in many industries, it is reactive and requires protection against aggressive environments. In this study, oxide coating was formed on AZ91D magnesium alloy using micro-arc oxidation (MAO) process in an alkaline electrolyte. Then, in order to seal the pores in the oxide film, a sol–gel layer was applied to the surface of the MAO coating by dipping. For investigation of heat treatment temperature of the sol–gel layer on the properties of the coatings, two different temperatures (150 and 350 °C) were chosen. Surface morphologies and compositions of the coatings were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Surface roughness of the coatings was also measured. The corrosion behavior of the coatings was evaluated with Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization tests in 3.5 wt%NaCl solution. The porosity percent of the coatings was measured by potentiodynamic polarization tests results. It is found that the sol–gel layers successfully cover the pores of the MAO coatings. The results of the corrosion tests show that the sol–gel layers significantly increase the corrosion resistance of the substrate by reducing the percent of the porosity. The grain size measurements by XRD analysis shows that the grain size of the sol–gel layer heated in 350 °C is about 50 nm.     

Investigation of Glass-Like Sol-Gel Coatings for Corrosion Protection of Stainless Steel Against Liquid and Gaseous Attack

Glass-like sol-gel coatings have been investigated as corrosion protective coatings on stainless steel. Magnesium- and borosilicate coatings with thickness of about 100–700 nm and methyl-modified SiO2 coatings with a thickness of about 2 m were deposited on stainless steel plates by dip-coating. The coatings were densified between 400°C and 500°C in different atmospheres (N2, air) for 1 h. The corrosion protection against gaseous attack was investigated by accelerated corrosion tests, at 800°C in air for 1 h. A corrosion protection factor was calculated from the relation Fe/Fe2O3, determined by XRD on the surface of coated and uncoated samples. Methyl-modified SiO2 coatings showed a protection factor, which was 2 orders of magnitude higher than for the other coatings. Electrochemical investigations were performed on samples submerged in a NaCl solution for 200 h. The corrosion propagation, polarization resistance and impedance vector were measured. For accelerated corrosion tests, polarization intensity curves were determined for high potentials of up to 1 V. Again excellent results were obtained for the methyl-modified SiO2 coatings, which remained passive for 200 h. Results of the salt spray corrosion test, however, showed no corrosion protection by the sol-gel coatings. After 2000 h in the salt spray chamber the steel was corroded and the coatings peeled off. It is concluded that for the further development of these coatings an improved interfacial passivation will be required.     

Pulse plating effect on microstructure and corrosion properties of Zn–Ni alloy coatings

The influence of pulse plating parameters on the surface morphology, grain size, lattice imperfection and corrosion properties of Zn–Ni alloy has been studied. The coatings were electrodeposited in an alkaline cyanide-free solution. AFM was applied for surface morphology examination, XRD measurements were carried out for phase composition and texture analysis, electron probe microanalysis was used for alloy chemical composition studies, while electrochemical techniques were applied for corrosion performance evaluation. The pulse plated Zn–Ni coatings appeared to consist of the γ-Zn₂₁Ni₅ phase and the composition of the alloy depended on the plating parameters. The grain size, lattice imperfection and homogeneity of grain distribution were established to be the main factors determining corrosion behaviour of the coating. Presented at the 4th Baltic Conference on Electrochemistry, Greifswald, March 13–16, 2005