Electrophoretic deposition kinetics and properties of ZrO2 nano coatings

The electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of Zirconia nano-particles suspended in a mixture of different solvents (ethanol, butanol, and isopropanol), and Triethanolamine (TEA) as a dispersant was studied. The effects of solvent type on the surface of particles were investigated. The well-stabilized suspensions were prepared for electrophoretic deposition, which was performed at various voltages and times. The effect of various parameters on the microstructure of coatings, fluctuations of current density during EPD, and deposition rate was investigated. It was observed that the deposition rate reduces by progressing the deposition process. The maximum deposition weight was detected with the ethanol suspension. The current densities tend to be unstable at high applied DC voltages. A much better microstructure of coatings was observed at lower DC voltages. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods were utilized to investigate the corrosion resistance of the coated substrates in saline solution at 25 °C. It was found that the corrosion resistance increases by reducing the applied DC voltage during EPD process and also the use of butanolic suspension.