Characterization of Nano-structured UV Cured Acrylic Coatings

This paper deals with the production and characterization of nano-structured UV curable acrylic coatings applied on mild steel substrates for corrosion protection purposes. UV curable acrylic coatings were modified in two ways: by adding pre-formed silica nanoparticles modified with MEMO molecules and by promoting an in situ formation of silica domains functionalized with MEMO molecules. The coatings were characterized by means of both chemical (FT-IR, DSC, UV-Vis absorbance, Gloss) and electrochemical techniques (EIS, Potential vs Time). The coatings showed different thermal stability as revealed by the DSC measurements. The coatings showed also different barrier properties depending on the presence of the nanoparticles or of the silica domains. It was proved that a convenient functionalization of the silica domains (or particles) lead to noticeable improvements of the barrier properties of the coating respect to the pure UV curable polymer.