Examination of Zinc coatings on Copper substrates by thermal analysis

Copper has excellent thermal conductivity and is mainly applied in electrical and machinery applications. Its main disadvantage is its poor resistance in aggressive environments which can be significantly enforced by the deposition of Zinc coatings. In this study the effect of the deposition time and temperature on the thickness and microstructure of Zinc coatings on Copper substrates by pack cementation process using a DSC apparatus, is investigated. Moreover, the oxidation performance of the coated samples has been evaluated in a high-temperature environment. Oxidation tests were accomplished by thermogravimetric measurements while the coated and oxidized samples were examined with SEM microscopy and XRD diffraction analysis. DSC results revealed that the chemical reactions, which lead to the coating formation, take place up to 300 A degrees C while the coating thickness increases with the duration of the deposition process. The as formed coatings consist of two layers corresponding to different Cu-Zn phases. Finally the coated samples were found to be more resistant when exposed in the aggressive environment, as they begin to oxidize at significant higher temperatures than the uncoated samples. This can mainly attributed to the formation of ZnO on the surface of the coating.