The advanced plasma electrochemical process of anodic spark deposition was
used to prepare polycrystalline strontium zirconate layers on metal surface
s by an anodic conversion of the zirconium metal substrate and the metal io
ns in an aqueous electrolyte,
On the metal substrate a thin passivating barrier film of zirconia first fo
rms, which subsequently changes to the perovskite structure of SrZrO3 durin
g the anodic spark process.
The typical surface morphology was characterized by scanning electron micro
scope. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the layers are composed of pol
ycrystalline strontium zirconate and microcrystalline phases of zirconium o
xides, The chemical state of zirconium was investigated by X-ray photoelect
ron spectroscopy.