An XPS study of cerium dopants in sol–gel coatings for aluminum 2024-T3

Corrosion protection is a key requirement for coatings on aircraft as the US Air Force extends the lifetime of its fleet. Coating systems for aluminum have long incorporated chromates in conversion coatings to protect against corrosion, but environmental restrictions require that alternative coating systems be developed. Cerium has been proposed as an alternative to chromate inhibitors, as have several other rare earth elements, because the rare earths behave as cathodic inhibitors in aluminum. Epoxy silicate sol–gels, containing a few wt.% of cerium salts, were investigated as coatings on aluminum alloy 2024-T3. The salts used were cerium(III) chloride, cerium(III) nitrate hexahydrate, and ammonium cerium(IV) nitrate. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS/ESCA) was used to study both the doped sol–gels and reference cerium compounds in order to determine the oxidation state of the cerium at the surface of the sol–gel coatings. No change in the oxidation state of the cerium in the sol–gels was found. Coupled with electrical impedance spectroscopy measurements, the incorporation of cerium into sol–gels seems promising for future corrosion protection of aluminum 2024-T3.