My experience is only chemical cleaning of carbon steel process equipment, but after the acid cleaning a "passivating wash" is used to give short term protection (a few days) from rust while the equipment is open to humid air. The most common of these washes in my experience are solutions of: sodium hydroxide, ammonia, and/or sodium nitrite; although my chemical cleaning manual also suggests: sodium carbonate, or sodium phosphate. The wash solution is then rinsed with condensate of pH=8.5
Some of these chemicals are good alkyline solutions that can also be used to nuetralize any residual acid. Usually NaOH or ammonia are satisfactory for protecting acid cleaned equipment during shutdown work. Sodium nitrite is used for longer protection. I don't know if surfaces so treated would then be too passive for your coating process. This is my experience which suggests that the treatment solution required for a few days protection does not have to be very exotic.
best wishes,
sshep