Effect of Inhibitors on the Corrosion and Electrochemical Properties of B4C-FeO Oxide-Ceramic Coatings on Steel

The effect of various inhibitors on the corrosion properties of an oxide-ceramic coating consisting of boron carbide B4C and iron oxide FeO has been studied. Coatings were deposited on low-carbon unalloyed steel by short-pulse high-energy laser irradiation. During laser treatment, a layer is formed, which is described in tribology as "glazes" with enhanced tribotechnical properties. The structure and composition of the resulting oxide-ceramic coatings are described. The corrosion and electrochemical properties of the samples were studied by anodic polarization in neutral buffer solution. The necessity to increase the resistance against electrochemical corrosion has been shown. The conceptual possibility of enhancing the corrosion resistance of samples in neutral buffer solution by using inhibitors has been ascertained. The following mixed inhibitors proved to be efficient: octanoic acid-triethanolamine, octanoic acid- hexamethylenetetramine, and an aqueous solution of polymethylsiloxane. The technique of impregnating samples with these inhibitors followed by heating to 120-150celcius was used.