Phosphate Coatings: EIS and SEM Applied to Evaluate the Corrosion Behavior of Steel in Fire Extinguishing Solution

Phosphate coatings are one of the most important methods in preventing metal corrosion, especially iron alloys. The high interest in this method for industrial applications is mainly due to the low costs associated with the phosphating solution component and technological process. Considering this aspect and the advantages offered to the materials (corrosion resistance, good adhesion, wear resistance), this study evaluates the potential of using the phosphate coating method in health and safety applications. Therefore, the deposition of a layer of zinc phosphate on the steel surface used in the manufacture of components for personal protective equipment was approached. Firefighters, during rescue/evacuation operations, use protective equipment for fall arrest, whose accessories (hooks, carabiners) are made of steel. Due to the low corrosion resistance property of carbon steel, these accessories must be replaced frequently. This paper aims to analyze the possibility of improving the corrosion resistance of carbon steel in a fire extinguishing solution. Accordingly, the electrochemical behavior of two different types of coatings was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). In the literature, different corrosion evaluating methods or systems have been considered, and up until now, there has been no previous study to have approached the corrosive behavior of C45, phosphate C45, and painted phosphate C45 immersed in fire extinguishing solution.