Anti-corrosion performance of the mild steel substrate treated by a novel nanostructure europium oxide-based conversion coating: Electrochemical and surface studies

In the current study, the steel surface was chemically treated by a novel nanostructured film based on europium oxide (Eu2O3) through optimizing the film formation parameters, i.e., pH and temperature. The results obtained from the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) demonstrated that the steel surface was covered by a uniform europium oxide film. The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) patterns proved the presence of europium oxide compounds on the metal surface. According to the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results, the surface-treated sample showed a corrosion resistance of approximately 3000 Omega.cm(2) in the 3.5 % NaCl solution. The potentiodynamic polarization test results evidenced that through the deposition of the europium oxide film, the corrosion current density (icorr) significantly decreased.

Automated summary

Optimizing the formation parameters for europium oxide film on steel surface can enhance corrosion resistance and decrease corrosion current density.