Structure and composition of artificially synthesized rusts of Zn–Fe and Zn–Ti alloys

The artificial rusts of Zn–Fe and Zn–Ti alloys were synthesized from aqueous solutions of mixed metal chloride, sulphate, and nitrate such as ZnCl2–FeCl2, ZnSO4–Ti(SO4)2, Zn(NO3)2–Fe(NO3)3, and so forth, and were characterized by a variety of techniques. Rust particles with different compositions and morphology were formed, strongly depending on the types of anions and metal ions. Sheet particles of basic zinc chloride (simonkolleite) were generated in the ZnCl2–FeCl2 system and the plate particles of basic zinc sulphate were formed in sulphate systems. These sheet or plate particles and the nanoparticles produced in Zn–Ti systems are expected to form compact rust layers by preferred orientation and dense packing, respectively, and contribute to a high corrosion resistance of Zn alloys.