Influence of nano-SiO2 on the bonding strength and wear resistance properties of polyurethane coating

Abstract

Abstract To improve the wear resistance of polyurethane (PU) coating and its adhesion to the steel substrate, a series of simple and practicable techniques were designed to mix nano-SiO2 with PU powder to cast a coating layer onto the steel. When the addition of nano-SiO2 was small, a network structure of PU-SiO2 was produced. It improved the wear resistance of the composite coating and its adhesion to the steel substrate. When the addition of nano-SiO2 was excessive, agglomerated nano-SiO2 particles not only affected the bond between the PU resin and the steel substrate but also became abrasive materials, intensifying the abrasion of the composite coating during friction. It resulted in lower bonding strength and poorer wear resistance of the composite coating. The wear rate and friction coefficient of 2 wt.% SiO2/PU composite coating were 1.52×10−6 cm3/min N and 0.31, respectively. Its wear resistance was about 10 times as high as that of the pure PU coating. Furthermore, a simple and practicable installation was designed to test the bonding strength between the coating and the steel substrate. The bonding strength between 2 wt.% SiO2/PU composite coating and the steel substrate was 7.33 MPa, which was 39% higher than that of the pure PU coating.