The Effect of Zirconia Sol-Gel Coatings on Mild Steel Oxidation Resistance

摘要

The effect of zirconia coatings deposited by the sol-gel technique on the oxidation of mild steel was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XKD) and measuring weight gain. It was found that the thickness of zirconia coatings is a crucial factor affecting the oxidation kinetics and the multilayer dip-coating is much more effective than the single coatings. Auger electron spectroscope (AES) was used to evaluate the depth composition of scale. The results suggest that the growth mechanism of the oxide scale for coated mild steel change from outward cation to inward anion diffusion, during oxidation.