Corrosion Resistance Characterization of Coating Systems Used to Protect Aluminum Alloys Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and Artificial Neural Networks

In this study, the corrosion protection provided by of a number of chromate and chromate-free coatings systems was characterized in detail. High-solids SrCrO4-pigmented epoxy primers applied to 2024 and 7075 substrates were subject to salt spray exposure testing for 30 days. Samples were removed periodically and an electrochemical impedance measurement (EIS) was made. Although none of the coatings tested showed visual evidence of corrosion, the total impedance of the samples decreased by as much as two orders of magnitude. An analysis of capacitance showed that the primer coatings rapidly took up water from the exposure environment, but the coating-metal remained passive despite the fact that it was wet. These results support the idea that chromate coatings protect by creating a chromate-rich electrolyte within the coating that is passivating to the underlying metal substrate. They also suggest that indications of metal substrate passivity found in the low-frequency capacitive reactance of the impedance spectra are a better indicator of corrosion protection than the total impedance.;The low-frequency capacitive reactance from EIS measurements is also good at assessing the protectiveness of chromate-free coatings systems. Fifteen different coatings systems comprising high-solids, chromate-free primers and chromate-free conversion coatings were applied to 2024 and 7075 substrates. These coatings were subject to salt spray exposure and EIS measurements. All coatings were inferior to coating systems containing chromate, but changes in the capacitive reactance measured in EIS was shown to anticipate visual indications of coating failure. A predictive model based on neural networks was trained to recognize the pattern in the capacitive reactance in impedance spectra measured after 48 hours of exposure and make an estimate of remaining coating life. A sensitivity analysis was performed to prune the impedance inputs. As a result of this analysis, a very simple but highly predictive model was constructed that used low-frequency phase angle information extracted directly from EIS measurements to predict time to failure in salt spray up to 30 days of exposure.;The exposure and EIS characterization of the chromate-free coatings systems enabled a ranking of the coatings systems in terms of corrosion protection provided. Coating systems were ranked according to several different methods described in the literature. Among the coatings evaluated, Deft 02GN084, a high solids, solvent-borne and Pr-containing primer coating showed best protection when used in conjunction with a number of different conversion coatings and surface pretreatments. Several different trivalent chromium conversion coatings and pretreatment were used. This general type of conversion coating appeared to provide better corrosion protection than other pretreatments whose functions were primarily surface cleaning or adhesion promotion.