Sol‐Gel Coating on CA‐60 Steel Surfaces: A Process for Corrosion Inhibition

ABSTRACT The phenomenon of corrosion causes worldwide damage, which is not only economic but also results in the loss of lives through accidents caused by the collapse of corroded support structures. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the use of coatings produced from silicon alkoxides via the sol‐gel method for the corrosion prevention of CA‐60 steel. The coating solutions were prepared using the alkoxide tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). After the coating process, the resulting xerogel was characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and spectroscopy in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared regions. The steel samples were characterized by mass analysis, visual inspection, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) both before and after a corrosive treatment. It was concluded that the silica coating prepared in this study provided an excellent protective barrier against corrosive action, preventing alloy degradation. Consequently, this work highlights the TEOS‐based coating as an effective method for preventing the corrosion of CA‐60 steel, demonstrating protection with only a 16.97% reduction in the coating′s mass after exposure.