Electrochemical Study of a Hydrophobic Film of γ-Al₂O₃/Hdtms on Low Carbon Steel

Abstract

The corrosion phenomenon affects several low carbon steel structures leading to excessive expenditure on coatings and other alternatives. However, the coatings used usually contain compounds that pollute the environment. Therefore, environmentally friendly, economical and transparent coatings or films have been developed. The sol-gel method is a reliable way for the development of anticorrosive films, as is the case of alumina or silica films. In this work, the protective capacity of an alumina/HDTMS film was studied. The alumina film was sintered at 350, 450 and 550 °C and then the 1% HDTMS film was deposited. The protective ability of the γ-Al2O3/HDTMS film was evaluated by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Potenciodynamic Polarization Curves (PDP). The electrochemical results showed that the Al2O3/HDTMS film provided better protection compared to the metallic substrate. The contact angle degree was measured and determined that the sintered alumina/HDTMS films showed hydrophobic and superhydrophobic properties.