Behavior of titanium diboride nanofilms and nanopowders in hydrochloric acid solutions

Abstract

We have studied the behavior of TiB₂ nanofilms and nanopowders in HCl solutions of various concentrations (1.2 to 12.0 mol/L). The TiB₂ films were grown by nonreactive magnetron sputtering in an additional magnetic field or without it. The TiB₂ powder was prepared by reacting fine-particle titanium and boron in a Na₂B₄O₇ ionic melt. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The reactions with the acid solutions were studied by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that a magnetic field applied during the sputtering process improves the corrosion resistance of the films. Titanium diboride powders consisting of rounded particles are shown to have the highest resistance to dissolution in hydrochloric acid.