Synergistic Effect of Nanoparticles: Enhanced Mechanical and Corrosion Protection Properties of Epoxy Coatings Incorporated with SiO(2) and ZrO(2)

This research paper presents the fabrication of epoxy coatings along with the hybrid combination of SiO(2) and ZrO(2). The epoxy resin is incorporated with SiO(2) as the primary pigment and ZrO(2) as the synergist pigment. The study delves into the adhesion, barrier, and anti-corrosion properties of these coatings, enriched with silica and zirconium nanoparticles, and investigates their impact on the final properties of the epoxy coating. The epoxy resin, a Diglycidyl ether bisphenol-A (DGEBA) type, is cured with a polyamidoamine adduct-based curing agent. To evaluate the protective performance of silica SiO(2) and zirconia ZrO(2) nanoparticles in epoxy coatings, the coated samples were tested in a 3.5% NaCl solution. The experimental results clearly demonstrate a remarkable improvement in the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), and Elastic Modulus. In comparison to using SiO(2) separately, the incorporation of both ZrO(2) and SiO(2) resulted in a substantial increase of 43.5% in UTS, 74.2% in YS, and 8.2% in Elastic Modulus. The corrosion test results revealed that the combination of DGEBA, SiO(2), and ZrO(2) significantly enhanced the anti-corrosion efficiency of the organic coatings. Both these pigments exhibited superior anti-corrosion effects and mechanical properties compared to conventional epoxy coatings, leading to a substantial increase in the anti-corrosion efficiency of the developed coating. This research focuses the potential of SiO(2) and ZrO(2) in hybrid combination for applications, where mechanical, corrosion and higher adhesion to the substrates are of prime importance.