Cerium Chemical Conversion Coating for Aluminum Alloy 2024-T3 and Its Corrosion Resistance

Abstract

Abstract New golden, yellow-colored cerium chemical conversion coatings on aluminum alloy 2024-T3 (AA2024-T3 [UNS A92024]) surface at room temperature were obtained by immersing the alloy into a cerium solution containing zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Electrochemical methods and immersion tests were used to study the dynamics of the coatings formation and their corrosion resistance in 3.5% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. The morphologies of the coatings were recorded by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyze the chemical composition and the oxidation state of the elements in the coatings. Polarization experiments and immersion tests in 3.5% NaCl solution showed that the sensitivity to pitting corrosion for the conversion-coated AA2024-T3 was greatly lower than that of the untreated specimens, and the corrosion resistance improved markedly. SEM photographs showed that the coatings consisted of a lot of spherical particles. EDX and XPS experimental results showed that the coatings were made up of oxygen, cerium, and aluminum, and the spherical particles contained higher contents of cerium and oxygen than the other sites. Cerium was mainly in the form of Ce4+. The mechanisms of conversion coatings formation and improvement on corrosion resistance also are discussed.