Microstructure, Corrosion and Mechanical Performance of Zinc-Doped CuO/Nb Refinement on Mild Steel

The need for high strength and corrosion-resistant materials in automobiles is the primary justification for emerging applications of electroplated steel pipes and unions’ material. The development of functional materials for electroplated steel pipe and unions are often known to be enhanced microstructure responses. This investigation focuses on the corrosion, mechanical and structural properties of the zinc-doped CuO/Nb as reinforcement particles for production of reliable coating. Although, the Zn–CuO–Nb bath has the large concentration of CuO which was kept at (20 g), while niobium varied between 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 g. The electrodeposition of the samples of mild steel was done using the ASTM A53M standard. Results showed that the Zn–20CuO–8Nb coated steel sample had the least corrosion rate (0.3373 mm/year) while the current density of corrosion was 2.929E−05 A/cm², meaning that the Zn–20CuO–8Nb coated steel sample provides a more sufficient covering for the steel surface compared to the other samples. It was also observed that adding niobium (Nb) intensified the hardness of the Zn–20CuO–8Nb coated mild steel plate to 253.42 kgf/mm² from 239.45 kgf/mm² that niobium (Nb) has a strengthening ability. Other observation showed that the Zn–20CuO–8Nb coating had a single coloration indicating a homogeneous blend of particles and coating. Generally, the extent of properties enhancements would assist in knowing the suitability of the coating for specific automotive pipe union applications in automobile industry. In all, the study will enable practical applications of high strength-to-weight dimension of coating processing.