Effect of Bias Voltage on the Electrochemical Corrosion Behavior of Titanium Coatings Deposited on Steel Substrate by Cathodic Arc Evaporation
摘要
Corrosion-resistant Ti coatings with a thickness of about 20 µm were deposited on the surface of steel St.45 by cathodic arc evaporation. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis were used to study the effect of a 50-200 V substrate negative bias voltage on the coating structure. The corrosion behavior of the coated samples was characterized by electrochemical tests in 3 wt.% NaCl solution at 20 °C. Nanocrystalline α-Ti coatings with uniform and dense microstructure, strong intergranular bonding, good adhesion, and high hardness of about 5 GPa are formed over the entire range of bias voltage variations. The electrochemical tests showed that the material of the obtained coatings has a high corrosion resistance, is continuous, and provides a high degree of protection to the steel substrate. As the bias voltage increases, the corrosion parameters of the resulting coatings change nonmonotonically. The best corrosion resistance is exhibited by non-textured coatings deposited at a substrate bias of 100-150 V. A reduction in the protective properties of a coating deposited at a bias voltage of 200 V is attributed to a strong texture and high crystal lattice deformation.