New protective coatings with satisfactory performance and low impact are required by the surface treatment industry as effective Cr(VI)-free substitutes. Recently conversion coating systems containing Zr/Ti have shown great promise particularly for zinc finishes on steel and in this paper, we study the influence of bath conditions (e.g. pH and time) on conversion layers composed of a Zr-based film. The coating formation was studied by simultaneous monitoring of open circuit potential and surface pH using a novel cell design. Samples were subsequently characterised by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in NaCl over a 24-hour period. The system demonstrates a correlation between pH of formation and corrosion resistance.
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