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Phosphating of Steel for Cold Forming Processes

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Encyclopedia of Tribology

Synonyms

Phosphate coating; Phosphate conversion coating

Definition

Phosphating is a conversion coating process that utilizes diluted phosphoric-acid or phosphate-salts aqueous solution in order to convert the surface of a metal in an insoluble and adherent phosphate coating through electrochemical reactions. The obtained phosphate coating provides the metal surface with useful properties.

Scientific Fundamentals

Phosphoric acid is a triprotic acid, which means that it contains three replaceable hydrogen atoms, giving rise to three anions (Manchu 1955; Lorin 1974; Freeman 1988), as follows:

$$\begin{array}{ll} {{{\rm{H}}_{{3}}}{\rm{P}}{{\rm{O}}_{{4}}} + {{\rm{H}}_{{2}}}{\rm{O}} \rightleftarrows {{\rm{H}}_{{3}}}{{\rm{O}}^{ + }} + {{\rm{H}}_{{2}}}{\rm{P}}{{\rm{O}}_{{4}}}^{ - }}& {{\rm{K}} = {7},{5}.{1}{0^{{ - {3}}}}({\rm{at \ 25}}^\circ {\rm{C}})} \end{array} $$
$$ \begin{array}{ll} {{{\rm{H}}_{{2}}}{\rm{P}}{{\rm{O}}_{{4}}}^{ - } + {{\rm{H}}_{{2}}}{\rm{O}} \rightleftarrows...

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Acknowledgments

The author greatly acknowledge the financial support offered by FAPESP and Brasmetal Waelzholz S.A. and Célia Lino dos Santos and Maria Cristina Moré for technical support and for the conduction laboratory tests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Corrosion and Protection Laboratory, Institute of Technological Research of São Paulo State and Polytechnic School of São Paulo University, Prof. Almeida Prado Avenue, 532, São Paulo, 05508-901, Brazil

    Prof. Zehbour Panossian (Invited Professor)

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  1. Prof. Zehbour Panossian
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Correspondence to Zehbour Panossian .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Center for Surface Engineering and Tribology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Q. Jane Wang

  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Center for Surface Engineering and Tribology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Yip-Wah Chung

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Panossian, Z. (2013). Phosphating of Steel for Cold Forming Processes. In: Wang, Q.J., Chung, YW. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tribology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-92897-5_1187

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