Tribo-Mechanical Investigation and Anti-Corrosion Properties of Zn-TiO2 Thin Film Composite Coatings from Electrolytic Chloride Bath.

Zn-TiO2 (Zn-Ti) composite films were produced on mild steel substrate by electro-deposition from zinc based chloride solutions. The thin film coating was investigated using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The anti-corrosion behaviour in 3.65% NaCl medium were studied using potentiodynamic polarization technique and characterized by high resolution optical microscope (HR-OPM). The wear and the hardness properties of the composite coatings were measure with high diamond microhardness tester and reciprocating sliding tester respectively. Experimental results show that co-deposited TiO2 particle provides new orientation of metal matrix and modified the surface structure which contributed maximally to the increase in hardness and wear resistance. More so, increase in anti-corrosion property of all the deposits fabricated is attributed to the formation of new phases, surface homogeneity of the developed coating and the thin oxide films of Ti