Corrosion behavior of low pressure cold sprayed Zn-Ni composites coating

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the performance of low-pressure cold-sprayed zinc-nickel (Zn-Ni) composites coating, i.e. whether it has the same performance as Zn-Ni alloy coating. Design/methodology/approach - In this paper, Zn-Ni composites coatings containing four different nickel contents were prepared with commercial DYMET 413 low-pressure cold spraying system under the same parameters. Corrosion behaviors of four kinds of coatings were examined with potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods, combined with scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Findings - Corrosion behavior of Zn-Ni composites coating is similar to Zn-Ni alloy coating. In the early stages of immersion, the anodic dissolution of zinc happens, which results in the formation of a zinc hydroxide layer. With the continuous infiltration of chloride ion, zinc hydroxide will get converted to zinc oxide, basic zinc chloride and basic zinc carbonate. The presence of nickel in coatings can prevent zinc hydroxide from converting into zinc oxide. Research limitations/implications - Further research should be done on improving the deposition efficiency, as the deposition efficiency of low-pressure cold spray is lower than 30 per cent. Practical implications - Low-pressure cold spray coating can be used in cyclic dry/wet conditions to prolong the life of a steel structure. Social implications - Low-pressure cold spray Zn-Ni coating is an environmentally friendly anticorrosion method which can be used as an alternative of hexavalent chromium passivation coating. Originality/value - Zn-Ni composite coating can be deposited on steel directly by low-pressure cold spray by mechanically mixing the powders together. The composite coating also has the same long-term anticorrosion performance as Zn-Ni alloy coating.