Improved Corrosion Protection of Stainless Steel by Two Dimensional BN Nanomaterial Coating

Abstract

Boron nitride (BN) nano coating was deposited on 304 type stainless steel sheets by standard thermionic vacuum arc (TVA) as a physical vapour deposition method. Deposited BN nano coating was characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses tools. Corrosion performances of un-coated and BN nano material coated steel samples were investigated in 1 M H2SO4 solution using Eocp-time curves, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. BN nano coating was found to provide anodic protection to the steel and reduced significantly corrosion rate of 304 steel in acidic medium. Long term corrosion tests results demonstrated that the BN nano coating has ability to protect the 304 stainless steel in sulfuric acid corrosive media during 10 d and the protective behavior of the BN nano coating results from passivation effect of the coating against the attack of corrosive environment. Finally, BN nano coating is a promising two dimensional coating material for corrosion protection of stainless steel.