A silane pre-treatment for improving corrosion resistance performances of emeraldine base-coated aluminium samples in neutral environment

An aluminium–magnesium alloy AA5182 substrate pre-treated with a 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APS)-based solution and coated with emeraldine base (EB) showed improved corrosion resistance to neutral salt spray test, compared to samples pre-treated with phosphoric acid-based solutions prior to the EB coating. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) characterisations of samples pre-treated with APS showed the presence of an uneven silane coating on the aluminium surface according to the surface microstructure. The potentiodynamic study performed on the EB-coated samples showed a noticeable reduction of corrosion current of coupons pre-treated with APS, while no relevant difference in corrosion behaviour was observed between APS and phosphoric acid pre-treated samples prior to the EB coating. The coupling activity of APS between the AA5182 surface and EB coating at the most sensitive corrosion sites could be responsible of an improved adhesion of the EB coating at these points and could explain the observed improved corrosion resistance.