Surface coverage determination of iron-phosphate coatings on steel using voltammetric anodic dissolution technique

Abstract

In this study, the effect of deposition time and concentration of NaNO2 in the phosphate bath on the surface morphology of iron-phosphate coatings on low carbon steel was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The composition of iron-phosphate coatings was determined using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), while surface coverage was evaluated by the voltammetric anodic dissolution (VAD) technique in the borate solution. The addition of NaNO2 in the phosphate bath significantly increased the surface coverage since better packed crystals of smaller size, which favour the phosphate nucleation, were obtained. It was also shown that prolonged deposition time increased the surface coverage, coating roughness and crystal size in lateral direction, altering also the crystal shape from big platelets nonuniformly distributed on steel surface during initial time, to better packed laminated and needle-like structures during prolonged exposure.