Effect of surfactants on co-deposition of B4C nanoparticles in Zn matrix by electrodeposition and its corrosion behavior

The effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and N,N,N,N cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on co-deposition of B4C nanoparticles with Zn was investigated. The Zn–B4C composite coating was fabricated from solution containing ZnSO4, B4C nanoparticles, and a surfactant. The concentration of surfactants, B4C particles and Zn salts was optimized by Hull cell studies. The cathodic polarization and cyclic voltammograms were recorded for deposition process. The structure and morphology of coating were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopic (EDS) techniques. The influence of B4C and surfactants on preferred orientation of Zn was calculated. The corrosion resistance property of Zn–B4C composite produced in the presence of surfactants was measured and compared with bare Zn deposit.