Electro-assisted preparation of dodecyltrimethoxysilane/TiO2 composite films for corrosion protection of AA2024-T3 (aluminum alloy)

Thin films of organosilanes have been successfully used as the alternative to toxic chromate coatings for surface pretreatment of metals and alloys. To further improve their corrosion performance, in the present work nano-scaled TiO₂ particles were added to the dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTMS) films coated onto AA2024-T3 substrates, by using either the dip-coating or the cathodically electro-assisted deposition process. The obtained composite films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), water contact angle measurements, Fourier transform reflection-absorption IR (FTRA-IR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that these two techniques (nanoparticles incorporation and the electro-assisted deposition) both facilitate the deposition process of silane films, giving thicker deposit and higher coverage surface along with higher roughness and hydrophobicity, and thereby improve their corrosion resistance. Moreover, the corrosion performance of silane films is further improved by the combined use of nanoparticles modification and electro-assisted deposition.