Construction and corrosion resistance of Ni-B4C superhydrophobic composite coatings on Q235 steel

Abstract

Abstract Superhydrophobic coating technology is a promising anticorrosion method for metals. In this paper, a simple composite electrodeposition technique is proposed, in which micron-sized B4C particles are added to the electrolyte to construct Ni-B4C composite coating which exhibits a unique micro-nano structure. The addition of B4C particles promotes the construction of rough structure and enhances the corrosion resistance of the coating. When the B4C content is 3\xa0g/L, the contact angle of the coating modified using a low surface energy material, reaches 162.5\xa0±\xa02°. The coating exhibits an excellent barrier effect against the corrosive medium. The superhydrophobic coating (MB-3) displays excellent corrosion resistance, and the corrosion protection efficiency reaches 99.53% in 3.5\xa0wt% NaCl solution. The corrosion current density of MB-3 is 7.95\xa0×\xa010−8\xa0A/cm2, which is three orders of magnitude lower than that of the pure Ni coating (MB-0). The addition of B4C promotes the growth of the coating, resulting in excellent shielding and stability.