Anticorrosion Properties of Nano Anatase TiO(2) Films Derived from Sol-Gel and Hydrothermal Crystallization

Abstract

Nano TiO(2) films were applied to the surface of stainless steel ( SS) by sol-gel and hydrothermal crystallization using Ti(O(CH(2))(3)CH(3))(4) as a precursor. The properties of the TiO(2) films were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The corrosion performance of the TiO(2) films was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy ( EIS) and polarization measurements. Anatase TiO(2) films prepared by hydrothermal crystallization at 170 degrees C showed similar crystallization to those prepared by conventional calcination at 450 degrees C. The TiO(2) prepared by the two methods were, however, obviously different from the surface structure and the material prepared by hydrothermal crystallization showed better anticorrosion performance in 3.5% (w) NaCl solution compared with the material prepared by calcination.