EIS investigation of zinc dissolution in aerated sulphate medium. Part II: zinc coatings

The kinetics of anodic dissolution and corrosion of zinc coatings deposited onto steel sheet either by electrodeposition or by hot dipping are investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in aerated sulfate medium. The results are compared with those obtained previously on pure bulk zinc and interpreted on the basis of the model derived in the first part of this paper. It is shown that zinc coatings are less sensitive to corrosion than pure bulk zinc and changes of their behavior with time are not identical. Important differences are observed between the various coatings in the respective contributions of the three parallel paths of the dissolution process. Three kinds of oxidation products were identified by Raman spectroscopy. A compact non-stoichiometric zinc oxide was formed by surface reaction on zinc. Above it, a thick and porous layer made of zinc hydroxi-sulfate and stoichiometric ZnO, was formed by precipitation from a local saturation of the solution. A strong correlation was evidenced between the oxidation products and the various paths of the reaction model. It was assumed that the impurities, initially present in the metal, may affect the interfacial reactions, the increase of the micro-roughness, and may also reinforce the protective properties of oxidation product layers. The differences between the various zinc coating behaviors result mainly from their impurities. Their crystal preferred orientations have no significant influence. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.