AFM study of morphological development of zinc electrodeposits

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy was employed successfully to evaluate the morphological development of zinc electrodeposited onto steel substrate. The surface of steel was prepared in electropolished and mechanically polished conditions. Under the same depositing conditions, different types of zinc morphology were observed. Atomic force microscopy study of deposits proposed different mechanism of zinc development. On mechanically polished surface, zinc layered crystals like arrays was developed by individual nucleation of zinc followed by non-oriented growth. Conversely, on electropolished surface, nucleation of zinc followed by oriented growth (lateral growth) was observed on some grains while on the other grains direct incorporation of atoms to the microsteps of steel followed by bunching growth of these microsteps to macrosteps was detected.

Keywords

ZINC COATING ELECTRODEPOSITION MORPHOLOGY ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY ELECTROPOLISHING MECHANICALLY POLISHING EPITAXY TEXTURE

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