Abstract
Nanostructured ZnO thin films were coated on stainless steel specimen (304L SS) by depositing nanoparticles of zinc oxide. The morphology and optical properties of the thin films were epitomized using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive Analysis of X ray (EDAX), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) techniques. FESEM and AFM images revealed that the present depositing procedure is extremely proficient to synthesize uniform and homogeneous nanostructured thin films. The presence of excitonic peak in the PL emission spectrum confirmed the nanocrystalline nature of the thin films. The anticorrosion nature of the zinc oxide coated stainless substrate in the brackish environment was studied using Tafel, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy analysis and Open Circuit Potential studies (OCP) methods. The Ecorr, Icorr, corrosion rate before and after salt spray were calculated from Tafel plot. These parameters indicated that the anticorrosion properties of coated thin films are substantially higher to that of bare steel. The Nyquist plot before and after salt spray was fitted using an equivalent circuit and the coating resistance Rct was calculated. The different mechanisms involved in the corrosion behavior of the thin films were discussed on the basis of equivalent circuit. The physical stability of the coated samples in saline surroundings was studied by AFM assisted nanoindentation techniques. The absence of the cracks and blisters in the sample after nanoindentation before and after salt spray revealed the adherent nature of the nanostructured thin films.
Highlights
Nanomaterials of transition metal oxides have been in limelight due to their versatile applications in various fields of science and technology
The size of the pores in the samples is less than 100 nm and there were no cracks in the film
The Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy analysis (EIS) curves of zinc oxide thin film deposited on stainless steel former and later to salt spray test is depicted in the Figures 5a, b respectively
Summary
Nanomaterials of transition metal oxides have been in limelight due to their versatile applications in various fields of science and technology. Various coating techniques have been used to fabricate zinc oxide thin films including magnetron sputtering, chemical vapour deposition, sol-gel, vacuum arc deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, pulsed laser deposition, reactive evaporation [18,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28]. These coating techniques have inherent disadvantages such as requirement of high vacuum, high cost per cm lower area coverage etc. The corrosion behavior of the thin films in the briny surroundings was analyzed by Tafel, EIS and OCP after 390 hours salt treatment
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