Analyzing the Surface Roughness and Corrosion Resistance of YSZ-Coated Grade V Titanium Alloy by RF Sputtering

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is deposited onto Grade V titanium alloy via Radio Frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering, with deposition times of 0.5 and 1 hour (h), respectively, to get thicknesses of about 150 and 250 nm. Using atomic force microscopy, morphology of the coated and the uncoated surfaces was determined. Electrochemical corrosion studies were carried out on the samples, and then Tafel, Impedance and Nyquist curves were plotted. Titanium alloy coated with YSZ for 1 h possess better surface roughness and corrosion resistance, followed by the YSZ coating for 0.5 h, when compared with the uncoated titanium alloy. Improvement in corrosion resistance of YSZ coated titanium alloy enables its usage in aircraft applications.