Study of the Chemical Conversion of Aluminum Alloys by Coupling CFDE and EQCM

The ability of the channel flow double electrode (CFDE) technique and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) for studying in situ chromate phosphate conversion coating on 5182 aluminum alloys was explored. It was first demonstrated that aqueous Cr(VI) can be analyzed quantitatively with the CFDE technique by reduction into Cr(III) on a graphite electrode. Samples used for EQCM were quartz plated by physical vapor deposition using a 5182 alloy target, allowing thin layers of aluminum alloys with a similar chemical composition to be obtained. EQCM was adapted in order to account for the hydrodynamic conditions in an industrial process, by placing the quartz in a flow cell. In orde…