Zinc Ferrite Nanoparticle Coatings on Austenitic Alloy Steel

The phase transition of austenitic stainless steel of commercial label CL20ES and zinc ferrite nanoparticles was studied in an oxidative atmosphere of dry air to develop a low-cost, effective technique for covering-layer fabrication. CL20ES powder and zinc ferrite powder were mechanically mixed. This mixture was studied in an atmosphere of dry air at different annealing temperatures from room temperature to 900 °C. The employed characterization techniques are X-ray powder diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy in the transmission geometry, and scanning electron microscopy with elemental mapping. The fabricated layers were also characterized by surface-specific techniques such as conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy and grazing incidence X-ray powder diffraction. The analyzed powder mixture shows resistance against oxidation in dry air and high temperatures. These results were employed to produce zinc ferrite covering layers on 3D-printed cylinders of CL20ES. The results show a predisposition of zinc ferrite to be recrystallized at temperatures above 350 °C without the production of corrosive substances on steel. The zinc ferrite layers were analyzed by an ultrasonic hardness tester as well, which proved the hardness enhancement.