20.500.12556/DiRROS-31351 Formation and corrosion-protective performance of zirconium conversion coating on aluminium heat exchanger components This study investigates the corrosion protection of aluminium heat exchangers used in freezers with a zirconium conversion coating (ZrCC). Tube and fins sections were subjected to a three-step surface treatment comprising (i) alkaline cleaning, (ii) acid desmutting, both with commercial SurTec® products, and (iii) deposition of conversion of Zr coating in a hexafluorozirconic acid (H2ZrF6) bath. The resulting surfaces were characterised for morphology, composition, and corrosion behaviour using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarisation, and neutral salt spray (NSS) testing. Zr formed a ∼70 nm oxide–hydroxide layer that preferentially nucleated and grew on cathodic Fe-containing intermetallic particles in tubes and fins. The coating improved passivity and delayed pit initiation in chloride-containing environments by broadening the passivity span ΔE up to 500 mV. Accelerated corrosion testing in NSS (ASTM B117) demonstrates that ZrCC can provide efficient protection for up to 90 h on tube-and-fin substrates, thereby supporting their implementation in industrial heat-exchanger production. zirconium conversion coating cirkonijeva konverzijska prevleka prevleke true false true IOP Publishing Združeno kraljestvo Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik © 2026 The Author(s). Neznano 2026-07-29 12:37:57 2026-07-29 12:37:58 2026-07-30 03:49:46 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 Nasl. z nasl. zaslona; Opis vira z dne 27. 7. 2026; 1-23 str. iss. 3, [article no.] 035006 Vol. 9 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 2026-03-14 2026-06-23 2026-07-10 620.1/.2 2515-7639 10.1088/2515-7639/ae80fe 286127107 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7639/ae80fe 1 93440e92-8b39-11f1-923b-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=48501 RAZ_Kras_Ana_2026.pdf RAZ_Kras_Ana_2026.pdf 1 69692E7B74B84C99BD3EE332CC3625F8 93ccb9517938dabefefb859ceb442cf72f568d18eba76f05d2358e9654770240 ffcb21dc-8b39-11f1-923b-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=48502 Institut Jožef Stefan 0 0 0