Publications

Hydrotalcite coatings on aluminum alloys are being developed for corrosion protection of aluminum in aggressive saline environments. Coating bath composition, surface pretreatment, and alloying elements in aluminum all influence the performance of these coatings during salt spray testing. The coating bath, comprised of lithium carbonate, requires aging by dissolution of aluminum into the bath in order to grow corrosion resistant coatings. Coatings formed in non- aged baths do not perform well in salt spray testing. The alloying elements in aluminum alloys, especially copper, influence the coating growth and formation leading to thin coatings. The effect of the alloy elements is to limit the supply of aluminum to the coating/electrolyte interface and hinder growth of hydrotalcite upon aluminum alloys.

The iron content, phase constitution, and microstructure of electrodeposited iron-zinc alloy (EZA) coatings, deposited from chloride baths, is described for as-deposited and heat-treated conditions of coatings containing bulk iron contents of 6, 8, 10, and 13 w/o. The observed influence of current density upon iron content, which in turn influences the phase constitution and microstructure of the coatings, is reported. The microstructure, composed of non-equilibrium phases that have nanometer grain sizes, is illustrated and described with respect to iron content, crystallography, and morphology. As-deposited {eta} phase coatings undergo transformations through a sequence of metastable phases when heated. The sequence of phase transformations varies with iron content, but the mechanisms of phase transformation from the as-deposited eta phase to the metastable G phase was found to be similar in 6, 8, and 10 w/o Fe coatings. Microstructural, compositional, and crystallographic changes associated with this phase transformation are discussed.