Comparative study on corrosion behavior of plasma sprayed Al2O3, ZrO2, Al2O3/ZrO2 and ZrO2/Al2O3 coatings

ZrO2, Al2O3, ZrO2/Al2O3 and Al2O3/ZrO2 coatings were fabricated on low carbon steel using atmospheric plasma spraying technique. The microstructure and phase composition of the as-sprayed coatings were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The polarization test, salt spray test and immersion test were used to investigate the corrosion behavior of the coatings in 3.5% NaCl solution. The results suggested that the bilayered Al2O3/ZrO2 coating exhibits superior corrosion resistance when compared with the other coatings. This is ascribed to the presence of very few interconnected pores and stable phases in the coating.