Effect of Exposure Conditions on the Interfacial Bond Properties of SS400 Plate Coated with Various Epoxy Resins

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effects of different exposure conditions on the interfacial bond between steel plates and epoxy resin coatings at early ages. Test variables include the epoxy resin types, exposure conditions, exposure periods, and coating equipment. The selected epoxy resins were applied to prepared steel plates and cured at each exposure condition for 7, 28, 56, or 91 days, and the pull-off bond strength and coating thickness were measured. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were obtained to study the interfacial bond for some representative coatings. Three different exposure conditions (indoors and actual marine environment) were considered in this study. This study is also focusing on the improvement of previously developed underwater coating equipment and evaluating the performance. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the improved equipment types under different environmental conditions: indoors (tap water and seawater) and outdoor conditions. The improved equipment types were confirmed to be effective for underwater coating and easier to use than the previous equipment under real sea conditions. The experimental results also confirmed that the bond strength of the coating decreased as the curing time increased.