ABSTRACT
Silane surface treatment of metals has emerged in recent years as a promising alternative to chromate in corrosion protection on the metals such as aluminum and steel [2-4]. Recent research [4, 5] shows that a silane serves as a physical barrier as opposed to an electrochemical corrosion inhibitor. The barrier mechanism, however, is still not well understood. Most water absorption studies in silane films are restricted to the equilibrium state [1, 5-11]. Research on equilibrium water uptake [10, 11] indicates that the silane films are not effective water barriers. Water penetrates the film during water-vapor conditioning leading to 5-40% absorption depending on the silane species and processing conditions.
