Effect of nano-sized mesoporous silica MCM-41 and MMT on corrosion properties of epoxy coating

This study investigated the effect of co-incorporation of two different kinds of nano materials with different forms, layers (Na-MMT) and mesoporous silica particles (MCM-41), into the polymer matrix on the corrosion performance of epoxy resin. Correspondingly corrosion performance of the coatings was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3.5% NaCl aqueous solution and salt spray test. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement showed that the Na-MMT layers were exfoliated and the hexagonal framework structure of MCM-41 was retained during and after the composite preparation. The co-incorporation of Na-montmorillonite (Na-MMT) and MCM-41 into the epoxy coating possessed the best corrosion resistance than incorporating either Na-MMT or MCM-41 particles separately due to different interfacial structures between the fillers and the matrix.