The process of cold phosphating (25°C) of the carbon steel St3 in the zinc nitrate-phosphate system was studied using a set of physical, chemical and electrochemical methods. The electrochemical nature of steel phosphating in the given conditions was confirmed. Ways of improving the phosphating process to obtain corrosion-resistant phosphate coatings on steel were identified: modifying the phosphating solution with an inorganic silicon-containing additive and the subsequent processing of phosphate films in an aqueous solution containing silicon compounds.
