Abstract

Titanium dioxide coatings and zirconium dioxide were deposited on SiO2 underlayers by sol-gel method on stainless steel plates. The samples were treated at two different temperatures (500 and 700oC) in air. The morphology was examined by means of Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the phase composition by X-ray diffraction analyses. The corrosion resistance of the coatings were examined by evaluation of the weight loss in NaCl medium. The TiO2/SiO2 coatings possess relatively smooth surface with some crystallites on the surface, while ZrO2/SiO2 coatings are not so smooth. After treatment at higher temperature the ZrO2/SiO2 coatings become rougher. The weight loss measurement have proved that the TiO2/SiO2 coatings exhibit higher corrosion resistance in comparison to ZrO2/SiO2 coatings. The TiO2/SiO2 coatings, treated at 500oC after the corrosion test retain their characteristic grain structure without any cracks and other defects. Similar is the structure of these coatings, treated at 700oC. The better protective properties of TiO2/SiO2 could be attributed to their amorphous dense structure.