The synthesis of titania via sol-gel method has been widely studied. In the present work, titania was deposited onto a titanium substrate via sol-gel method. Different processing parameters such as the repetition number of dipping/heat treatment process and dipping time have been studied to obtain the homogenous titania coating. Phase and micro structural evaluation of the powder and coating samples were performed, using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The particle size distribution of the powder was measured by zetasizer instrument. Based on the results obtained in this work, both rutile and anatase phases formed after the heat treatment at 600oC. In addition, the thickness and the morphology of the coatings were found to be influenced by the repetition number of process.

The inherent reactivity of the Al–Cu alloys is such that their use for structural, marine, and aerospace components and structures would not be possible without prior application of a corrosion resistance system. Historically these corrosion resistance coatings were based on the use of chemicals containing Cr (VI) compounds. Silane coatings are of increasing interest in industry due to their potential application for the replacement of current toxic hexavalent chromate based treatments. In this study, hydrophobic coating sol was prepared with methyltriethoxysilane (MTES), methanol (MeOH), and water (as 7M NH4OH) at a molar ratio of 1:25:4.31 respectively. The coatings were applied by a dip-technique to 2024-T3 Al alloy, and subsequently cured at room temperature and there after heat treated in an oven at 150oC. The anticorrosion properties of the coatings within 3.5 wt% NaCl solution were studied by Tafel polarization technique. The sol–gel coating exhibited good anticorrosion properties providing an adherent protection film on the Al 2024-T3 substrate. The surface properties were characterized by water contact angle measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the composition was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

ZnO nanorods were prepared using dimethylamine (DMA) controlled sol-gel process. Dimethylamine was added as an additive to control the sol-gel process for growing ZnO nanorods. DMA would exhibit stabilizing effect, promote dissolution of precursor and control the rate of sol-gel reactions because of its basic nature and significant miscibility. The Structural and microstructural properties of the powders were characterized by X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). FESEM and TEM analysis revealed that the ZnO powder prepared were nanorods in nature. The optical properties of powders were characterized by UV-Visible and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The Structural, morphological, optical and photoluminescence properties of so obtained ZnO powders consisting of nanorods were studied. DMA is simple amine but found to be very effective to control the aspect ratio of nanorods. The role of DMA in growing wurtzite structured hexagonal ZnO nanorods with [0001] orientation was interpreted and growth mechanism of ZnO nanorods was explained.

FeCrAl foils were coated with alumina. Washcoating solutions were prepared using different sol-gel methods. Method A uses an inorganic precursor of aluminum nitrate and a completing agent of Acetylactone, method B is a hot hydrolysis of aluminum alkoxide, and method C is a modification of method B, by adding aluminum acetylacetonate. The last method, D, is a hydrolysis of aluminum alkoxide at room temperature. Washcoating solutions were deposited on FeCrAl foils through dip coating. Then, the coated foils were dried at 100°C and calcined at 600° C/3 for 2 hours. Ultrasound vibration tests showed a good adhesion of washcoat layers. Characteristics of the washcoat layers were determined by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmet-Telller (BET), and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) tests. Results of BET tests show that surface areas in sol-gel methods are greater than those found in the suspension method, and the inorganic sol-gel method (method A) has a lower surface area than those found in organic sol-gel methods.