The growth behavior of nanoporous anodic films on carbon steel containing 0.213 mass% carbon has been examined. The films were grown by anodizing in an ethylene glycol (EG) electrolyte containing 0.1 mol dm −3 NH 4 F and 0.5 mol dm −3 H 2 O. The steel contains carbide precipitates with sizes in the range 50-800 nm. The anodic film formed on the carbide phase grew more slowly and was more chemically soluble during anodizing, resulting in submicrometer pits on the anodic film. The nanoporous morphology of the anodic films formed on an α-Fe matrix resembled those formed on iron. Heat treatment of the anodized specimens caused transformation of the chemically soluble fluoride-containing amorphous or poorly crystalline anodic films to crystalline oxide films containing α-Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 . Polypyrrole (PPy) was electropolymerized on the transformed surfaces to form a corrosion-protective composite coating. The resultant specimens coated with the composite coating showed improved durability compared to passivated steel with a PPy coating. Porous oxide films formed on aluminum and magnesium alloys by anodizing have been extensively studied for their ability to protect alloys from corrosion and wear; in addition, an anodizing process is of fundamental interest for the growth of self-ordered porous films.
1-3Recently, attention has been drawn to the formation of highly ordered nanoporous structures on aluminum, which are formed by the anodizing process, and their use in nanoscience and nanotechnology. 4 Furthermore, the formation of self-ordered nanoporous oxide films on a range of metals, including titanium, 5 zirconium, 6-8 niobium, 9 tantalum, 10 tungsten is also of interest.
11,12Iron is the most widely used metal. Recently, self-ordered nanostructured oxide films have been developed on iron using organic electrolytes containing fluoride and trace amounts of water. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] Depending upon the anodizing conditions, either nanoporous or nanotubular anodic films are formed on iron. 14,18,24,27 The as-formed anodic films are often amorphous and contain a relatively high concentration of fluoride species; however, such films are not chemically stable. Heat treatment of the anodized iron samples causes crystallization of the amorphous anodic film, forming mainly α-Fe 2 O 3 .16,17,21 α-Fe 2 O 3 is a promising material for solar-driven water splitting due to its low bandgap, low cost, abundance, and high chemical stability; consequently, nanostructured porous α-Fe 2 O 3 films formed by anodizing and subsequent heat-treatment have recently attracted much attention. 17,18 In addition to photocatalytic applications, porous anodic films on iron can be used to protect iron and steel from corrosion. Iron and steel alloys are often coated with paints to protect them from environmental corrosion. In addition, interest in the use of conducting polymer coatings has increased because they provide anodic protection due to their oxidizing ability; in addition, they act as a physical ba...