The Comparative Analysis of the Coatings Deposited on the Automotive Parts by the Cataphoresis Method

The paper presents preliminary research focused on the determination of the influence of surface preparation on the quality of the paint coating obtained by the cataphoresis method (KTL). The tests were carried out on steel parts used in the construction of trailers and truck bodies. The first research group consisted of cold-rolled and chemically cleaned parts, the second group were mechanically cleaned with abrasive blasting. In order to determine the influence of surface treatment on the corrosion resistance of the tested coatings, besides a corrosion test, roughness measurements were also carried out. Tests were performed on the crude surface and after coating deposition. Moreover, tests were supplemented by measuring the thickness of the coating using the magnetic induction method and the hardness with the use micro and nano hardness testers. Measurements of the tribological parameters under dry friction conditions were performed using a T11 tester. The corrosion resistance of the applied coatings was determined in a salt spray test. The obtained results were compared to those that were determined for different zinc coatings. It has been shown that the method of base steel surface preparation affects every measured parameter and property of tested paint coatings. The quality of the coating deposited on the steel base after chemical cleaning is much better than the one applied to the sandblasted surface. The measured corrosion resistance of the tested paint coatings is only greater than the corrosion resistance of the lamellar zinc coating. The other zinc coatings (galvanic, hot-dip, sherardized) show corrosion resistance by an order of magnitude higher.