Effect of silica/PVC composite coatings on steel-substrate corrosion protection

In this paper we focus on the preparation of thin polymer coatings synthetized from 30-nm and 600-nm silica particles dispersed in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and deposited on two different steel substrates: duplex DSS 2205 and austenitic AISI 316L steel. We show that a silica surface modification with silane IO7T7(OH)3 (trisilanol isooctyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, POSS) significantly improves its dispersion properties when mixed with PVC. For comparison, the surface morphology and surface roughness of PVC coatings filled with both silanated and as-received (non-silanated) silica fillers were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) when sprayed on the steel surface. The effect of the silica silanization is later on reflected in a decreased average surface roughness in the silanated, compared to non-silanated, silica/PVC-coatings. The wetting properties of the silanated and non-silanated silica/PVC-coatings on DSS 2205 and AISI 316L were investigated using contact-angle and surface-energy measurements, indicating an increased surface hydrophilicity in terms of a decreased static water contact angle and an increased total surface energy compared to the uncoated specimens. Finally, the beneficial corrosion resistance of the silica/PVC coatings was confirmed with potentiodynamic polarization spectroscopy in a 3.5% NaCl solution.

► Optimized silica/PVC coating preparation for steel substrate corrosion protection.
► Enhanced coated steel surface protection properties due to silica surface chemistry.
► Improved coated steel surface wettability due to induced surface hydrophilicity.
► Improved corrosion stability of coated steel in chloride ion rich solution.