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Gradient Fabrication of Cu-Zn Alloy Coating and Synergistic Anti-Corrosion Mechanism of Carbon Layer

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Gradient Fabrication of Cu-Zn Alloy Coating and Synergistic Anti-Corrosion Mechanism of Carbon Layer

Keke Jiang 1 Yongqiang Fu 2 Ying Fu 1,3 Yanbin Zhang 2 Xing Zhao 4 Xuesong Chang 4 Tiewei Liu 4 Dongzhou Jia 1,5,* Xiaoqiang Wu 6,*

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1
College of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Liaoning University of Technology, Jinzhou 121001, China
2
School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
3
Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan 523808, China
4
Hisense Home Appliances Group Co., Ltd., Qingdao 266000, China
5
College of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Liaoning University of Technology, Jinzhou 121001, China
6
College of Mechanical and Traffic Engineering, Ordos Institute of Technology, Ordos 017000, China
*
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Received: 18 April 2026 Revised: 07 July 2026 Accepted: 18 September 2026 Published: 24 September 2026

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© 2026 The authors. This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Intell. Sustain. Manuf. 2026, 3(2), 10024; DOI: 10.70322/ism.2026.10024
ABSTRACT: Due to their dense microstructure and excellent thickness controllability, copper films are widely utilized in flexible electronics and energy storage device systems. Their interfacial stability in electrochemical environments becomes the critical factor limiting device cycle life and safety. However, in fluorine-containing electrolyte environments, copper is susceptible to severe HF-induced corrosion, generating unstable products such as CuF2, which can lead to structural degradation and functional failure. The results indicated that the film with a low Zn content (Cu-Zn (9.5:0.5 wt%)) exhibited deteriorated corrosion resistance due to a significant micro-galvanic effect. Its corrosion current was as high as 6.87 × 10−5 mA·cm−2. By contrast, the high-Zn-content film (Cu-Zn (9:1 wt%)) formed a composite passivation film that increased charge transfer resistance to 1.22 × 104 Ω·cm2 and reduced the corrosion current to 2.08 × 10−5 mA·cm−2. The introduction of an additional carbon layer resulted in optimal stability of the Cu-Zn (9:1 wt%)@C composite film, with the corrosion current decreasing to 6.14 × 10−6 mA·cm−2 and the structure remaining intact after corrosion. Multi-scale characterization revealed that the addition of zinc to the alloy enhanced the film’s intrinsic passivation capability, while the carbon layer provided an external barrier effect through physical isolation, charge regulation, and stress relief. This synergy effectively suppressed the formation of by-products. In summary, the Cu-Zn (9:1 wt%)@C composite film demonstrated the greatest corrosion resistance, establishing a theoretical foundation and engineering approach for the design of highly stable metallic films for use in intricate electrochemical environments.
Keywords: Cu-Zn alloy composite passivation layer; Alloy proportion control; Interfacial stability; Electrochemical corrosion mechanism
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