Article having a hexavalent-chromium-free, corrosion-inhibiting organic conversion coating thereon, and its preparation

A method for protecting a surface of a metallic article, comprising the steps of providing a reactive solution of an oxidized form of an electrically conducting polymer and an acid; the solution is then applied to the surface reactive article to form an adherent conversion coating on the surface; then the adherent conversion coating is oxidized to form an oxidized coating; and then the adherent conversion coating is oxidized to form an oxidized coating; and then it is contacted an oxidizable inhibitor reversibly chromate, to the oxidized coating to cause a fixing reaction that forms a fixed conversion coating on the surface of the article such that the fixed conversion coating, when damaged, releases the inhibitor by a reversal of the fixing reaction.