Effect of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) on zinc phosphating of steel

The effects of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) of EN8 steel on the growth of phosphate coatings, morphological features and corrosion resistance of the resultant coatings have been studied. SMAT enabled the formation of a uniform surface profile although the average surface roughness is increased after treatment. SMAT increased the extent of metal dissolution and the rate of growth of phosphate coating. In spite of the similarity in phase composition, the phosphate crystallite size is relatively high for samples treated by SMAT. Compared to the untreated one, a cathodic shift in E_corr with a corresponding decrease in i_corr is observed for SMAT treated EN8 steel after phosphating. For all tested samples, zinc phosphate coatings deposited on EN8 steel after SMAT using 8 mm Ø balls for 30 min offers the highest corrosion resistance. The increase in surface roughness by SMAT is partly compensated by the expected improvement in corrosion resistance.