Investigation of anticorrosion properties of nanocomposites of spray coated zinc oxide and titanium dioxide thin films on stainless steel (304L SS) in saline environment

The present study reports the anticorrosive nature of nanocomposite thin films of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide on steel substrate (304L SS) using spray coating method. The morphology and chemical constituents of the nanocomposite thin film were characterized by field effect scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis of x-ray (EDAX) studies. From the EDAX studies, it was observed that nanocomposite coatings of desired stoichiometry can be synthesized using present coating technique. The cyclic voltametric techniques such as Tafel analysis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis were conducted to study the anticorrosion properties of the coatings. The Ecorr values obtained from Tafel polarization curves of the sample coated with nanocomposites of ZnO and TiO2 in different ratios (5:1, 1:1 and 1:5) indicated that the corrosion resistance was improved compared to bare steel. The coating resistance values obtained from the Nyquist plot after fitting with equivalent circuit confirmed the improved anticorrosion performance of the coated samples. The sample coated with ZnO: TiO2 in the ratio 1:5 showed better corrosion resistance compared to other ratios. The Tafel and EIS studies were repeated after exposure to 5% NaCl for 390 h and the results indicated the anticorrosive nature of the coating in the aggressive environment. The root mean square deviation of surface roughness values calculated from the AFM images before and after salt spray indicated the stability of coating in the saline environment.