Sol–gel based protective coatings for copper products

Corrosion, fouling, and wearing of metal surfaces are the most common problems faced in industry as well as in environmental use. In the recent study, sol–gel based protective coatings were developed and deposited on different copper substrates. Different chemical pretreatments were used to enhance the adhesion and spreadability of coatings on copper surfaces. Substantial improvement of the corrosion resistance of sol–gel coated copper surfaces was obtained by a salt spray test. In addition, the sol–gel coatings increased hydrophobic and easy-to-clean properties of the copper surface. Variation of the curing temperature of the coatings caused changes in the morphology, adhesion, and topography of the sol–gel coatings. On the basis of the important information obtained in this study, the protective properties of sol–gel coatings can be tailored for copper and copper alloy substrates.