Effect of Treatment Temperature on Titania Coating Microstructures and Corrosion Properties by Hybrid Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation Treatment

Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) is a promising surface modification for valve metal and its alloys to improve surface properties and corrosion protection. Sandblasting is one of the most effective methods to enhance the mechanical performance of metal surfaces for application. This research intends to deposit titania ceramic coatings on sandblasted pure titanium by a hybrid technique to improve its corrosion resistance. The effect of process treatment temperature on microstructures and properties of the coatings was examined, and the modified surfaces were characterized in terms of their topography, chemical composition, and electrochemical behavior which were evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests. The results show that the micropores, phase, and anticorrosion of the titania coatings could be modified vastly with the drop in treatment temperature from 313.15 to 283.15 K. The further improvement of the titania coating performance was attributed to the controlled temperature in a hybrid treatment process.