Plasma-polymerized hexamethyl siloxane thin films deposited on SS316L stainless steel to improve its surface properties

Abstract

Thin films of plasma polymerized hexamethyl siloxane (pp-HMDSO) were deposited using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and study the effect of these films was studied in terms of improving the protection of the surfaces placed on them (which was stainless steel SS316L) from corrosion, in A knurled medium of 0.9% NaCl solution, and microhardness analysis, where pp-HMDSO thin films were deposited on SS316L stainless steel and silicon substrates for morphological analysis by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) transponder, within Specific conditions for measuring film's thickness. Electrochemical tests were conducted using Tafel polarization technique to study film's corrosion resistance, and micro-hardness test was also performed on these substrates and reference samples, after immersion of the substrates(which were deposited with above mentioned thin films)  for ten days in abrasive media. The results showed promising anti-corrosion properties of pp-HMDSO thin films.