Corrosion Resistance of Electrogalvanized Steel Coated with PEG-Modified Ceria Layers in Chloride and Sulfate Media

Abstract

A comparative study of the corrosion resistance and corrosion products formed on polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified and untreated cerium oxide-based coatings onto electrogalvanized steel substrate in chloride and sulfate media is presented. The corrosion monitoring was investigated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and d.c. polarization measurements. The corrosion products were analyzed by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. In the absence of PEG, the corrosion resistance impaired by the cerium oxide coatings was lost after short immersion times in the chloride medium but not in the sulfate one. The cracks in the cerium oxide coatings were found to be responsible for their fast degradation with the formation of zinc hydroxides. However, the incorporation of PEG to the cerium oxide deposits displayed a perfect stability in both media, due to the disappearance of cracks in the coatings and to the formation of stable corrosion products.