Characterization of protective performance of epoxy reinforced with nanometer-sized TiO2 and SiO2

Nano-TiO2 particles was uniformly dispersed and prepared into concentrated nano-paste. The effects of nano-TiO2 particles on the performance of epoxy resin on 2024-T3 aluminum alloy were investigated. The effects of nano-SiO2 with γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy silane modification or without modification on the performance of epoxy resin were also studied. It was found that the hardness of epoxy resin was improved by the incorporation of 1 wt.% nano-TiO2 particles or nano-SiO2. The results of electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS) and salt spray test indicated that the addition of nano-TiO2/SiO2 significantly improved the corrosion resistance of epoxy resin. Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) proved that the new absorptions at 1070 and 1090 cm−1 on silane-treated nano-SiO2 particles, which can evidence the ring structure of SiOSi. The formation of layered ring structure of nano-SiO2 can be explained for the enhancement of the corrosion resistance and hardness of nano-SiO2/epoxy composite.