Double layered polymeric coatings for corrosion protection of steel

Abstract

Corrosion is one of the challenging issues faced by many industries, causing substantial economic losses every year due to the degradation of metallic parts, raising many safety concerns. Therefore, it is of utmost relevance to developing strategies that can repair the damaged part of the coatings to protect the base metal and restrict the initiation of corrosion. Towards this direction, the concept of double-layered polymeric coatings (DLPCs) for corrosion protection is introduced as a novel strategy to bring different healing functionalities into coating matrices. The developed DLPCs are composed of a top layer containing 5wt. % of melamine urea-formaldehyde microcapsules (MUFMC) encapsulating boiled linseed oil (self-healing agent), and bottom layer having 3wt. % benzotriazole (corrosion inhibitor) loaded into halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). The DLPCs were developed on mild steel substrate employing a doctor blade technique. The electrochemical analyses indicates that the DLPCs demonstrate improved corrosion resistant properties. This improved performance can be ascribed to the efficient triggering of the individual carriers in the quarantined matrix, resulting in enhanced corrosion efficiency of the DLPCs. The promising characteristics of DLPCs make them suitable for many potential industrial applications.