Influence of ultrasonic excitation sealing on the corrosion resistance of HVOF-sprayed nanostructured WC-CoCr coatings under different corrosive environments

Abstract

The corrosion behavior of unsealed and sealed high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF)-sprayed nanostructured WC-CoCr cermet coatings under different corrosive environments was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), open circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Ultrasonic excitation sealing with aluminum phosphate was performed in an external ultrasonic bath with the frequency of 40 kHz at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. SEM micrographs revealed that the exposed area of the coating was effectively reduced by the coverage of aluminum phosphate sealant on the majority of pores. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the sealant with the help of ultrasonic energy could shift the corrosion potential to a more noble direction, reduce the corrosion current density, increase the resistance of charge transfer, and effectively improve the corrosion resistance of the coating in both 3.5 wt % NaCl and 1 mol·L-1 HCl solutions.