Improving the corrosion resistance of epoxy/polyamide coatings
In addition to determining the optimum percentage of mercaptobenzimidazole, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data could show the influence of inhibitor concentration on the epoxy behaviour within 35 days of immersion in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution.
Deposition of protective layer
The improved corrosion protection and adhesion strength in the presence of the pigment and inhibitor were connected to the deposition of a protective layer at the coating/substrate interface which might limit active zones for electrochemical reactions. The precipitation was confirmed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, polarization curves and SEM/EDX surface analysis.
The study is published in: Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 86, September 2015, Pages 117-124.