Hybrid inorganic sol-gel silane/organic polycaprolactone coatings for enhanced corrosion protection on AZ31B magnesium alloy
摘要
The silane inorganic coating and its hybrid with organic polycaprolactone (PCL) have been developed to improve the corrosion resistance of a magnesium alloy (AZ31B). This study investigates the effects of the aging time of the sol materials for the inorganic coating and its combination with PCL on the corrosion properties of AZ31B. The corrosion behavior was examined using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in a 3.5 wt% NaCl at room temperature. The organic monolayer was prepared by a sol-gel route using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) precursors. The prolonged aging time of the TEOS/MPTMS sol, from 1 to 7 days, increases the hydrophobicity, roughness, and corrosion resistance of the coating. The combination of TEOS/MPTMS with PCL decreases the hydrophobicity of the coating layer. Moreover, the hybrid double-layer coating of TEOS/MPTMS with PCL on the AZ31B alloy significantly enhances the corrosion resistance by 10 times compared to that of the monolayer TEOS/MPTMS coating.
Graphical Abstract