Electrochemical studies on Zn/nano-CeO2 electrodeposited composite coatings

The Zn–CeO2 composite coatings through electrodeposition technique were successfully fabricated on mild steel substrate. As a comparison pure zinc coating was also prepared. The concentration of CeO2 nanoparticles was varied in the electrolytic bath and the composites were electrodeposited both in the presence and absence of cetyltriammonium bromide (CTAB). The performance of the CeO2 nanoparticles towards the deposition, crystal structure, texture, surface morphology and electrochemical corrosion behavior was studied. For characterizations of the electrodeposits, the techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used. Both the additives ceria and surfactant polarize the reduction processes and thus influence the deposition process, surface nature and the electrochemical properties. The electrochemical experiments like potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) studies carried out in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution explicit higher corrosion resistance by CeO2 incorporated coating in the presence of surfactant.