Development and characterization of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) dispersed water borne epoxy (WBEP) coatings for enhanced adhesion and corrosion resistance.

Abstract

Abstract The effect of uniformly dispersed single walled carbon nano tubes (SWCNTs) into water borne epoxy resin (WBEP) towards anti-corrosion performance on mild steel was evaluated. Dispersed SWCNTs act as corrosion inhibitor, increased the adhesive strength of WBEP coatings to a greater extent. Consequently, the WBEP coatings displayed outstanding barrier properties against H2O molecule compared to the neat WBEP coatings. The corrosion resistance of 0.5% SWCNTs-WBEP coating determined after 60h of immersion in 3.5 % NaCl solution, showed superior performance than 0.3%, 0.1% SWCNTs loaded WBEP and neat WBEP coatings as well. Furthermore, the data resulted from physico-mechanical properties supported and confirmed the enhanced adhesion imparted by 0.5%SWCNTs-WBEP than that of neat WBEP coatings on mild steel. The SEM images ascertained proper dispersion of SWCNTs in WBEP resins. Ultimately, the results from our study demonstrated the positive effects of the proper incorporation of SWCNTs towards anticorrosive ability of WBEP coatings for better performance and longevity.