N. Khun, G. Frankel
Nov 1, 2015
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24
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Journal
Materials and Corrosion
Abstract
In this study, steel samples treated in a hexafluorozirconic acid based solution for different durations were investigated. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the existence of a zirconium oxide (ZrO2) layer on the treated steel. The increased contact angle of water on the treated steel with increased treatment duration indicated that the hexafluorozirconic acid treatment promoted the hydrophobicity of the surface. The corrosion results showed that the longer acid treatment gave rise to higher corrosion resistance of the treated steel in a 0.5 M NaCl solution by forming the better ZrO2 layer on the steel surface. The cathodic delamination of polyurethane coatings from the treated steel substrates was measured using a scanning Kelvin probe (SKP). The longer acid treatment resulted in significantly slower rate of cathodic delamination of the polyurethane coating due to the higher adhesion strength of the coating.