EFFECT OF CURRENT DENSITY ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF PURE COBALT COATINGS OBTAINED

Pure cobalt coatings were electrodeposited on copper substrate by means of direct electric current in a chloride solution at different current densities in the range of 10-70 mA cm -2 . The surface morphology and microstructure were investigated via X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Corrosion behavior of cobalt coatings was also studied in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution using potentiodynamic polarization and impedance spectroscopy techniques. The results showed that corrosion resistance of deposits was strongly influenced by the coating’s morphology. Co deposit obtained in lower current densities exhibited the highest corrosion resistance, due to their lower grain boundaries and so the least density of active sites for preferential corrosion attacks