Enhancement of the corrosion properties of cold sprayed Ti–6Al–4V coatings on mild steel via silica sealer

The pore formation associated with the cold spray process requires the development of an economical sealer to enhance the corrosion resistance of Ti–6Al–4V coatings on a mild steel substrate. Herein, a sound method is developed to seal pores in the cold sprayed Ti–6Al–4V coatings with silica sealer. Potentiodynamic polarization tests in 3.5 wt% sodium chloride electrolyte were employed to investigate the corrosion resistance of cold sprayed Ti–6Al–4V coatings fabricated at two standoff distances (30 and 70 mm) before and after the sealing process. The polarization resistance of cold sprayed Ti–6Al–4V coatings significantly increased by >80% after the sealing process. The electrochemical responses of cold sprayed Ti–6Al–4V were dependant on sealing the pores with agglomerated silica nanoparticles as observed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The increase in polarization resistance makes the sealer an effective treatment for cold sprayed Ti–6Al–4V coatings used in marine environments and other engineering applications. This sophisticated sealing process can reduce the deposition cost by reducing the thickness of Ti–6Al–4V coatings and increasing their lifetime on metal components.