Corrosion resistant 'stainless steel' alloy coatings using the jet vapor deposition process

Stainless steel is well known for its corrosion resistance. In this paper, we report initial results on the synthesis and evaluation of 'stainless steel' coatings using the Jet Vapor Deposition Process. 316 SS was used as the starting material and deposited onto silicon substrates at around room temperature. The composition of the alloys was controlled using additional sources of Cr and/or Mo. The composition of the coatings was determined using XPS. Passivation behavior of the coatings (thickness usually about 0.35 μm) was studied using electrochemical polarization in 0.1 and 4.0 M HCl solutions. The coatings exhibited passivation behavior typical of stainless steels over a range of Cr and Mo concentrations. Testing in 4.0 M HCl revealed the excellent passivation behavior of these coatings. Excellent passivation behavior was observed in the high Mo, low Cr alloys, even in such aggressive media. By contrast, a sample of 317LX did not exhibit any passivation behavior in 4.0 M HCl. These preliminary results suggest the potential for this system for corrosion resistant applications. Detailed investigations on the composition of the passive film, mechanisms of passivation in these films and film microstructure are currently underway.