Influence of interface chemistry and network density on interfacial ion transport kinetics for styrene/acrylate copolymer coated zinc and iron substrates

n-Butyl acrylate/styrene copolymer films were applied on iron and zinc surfaces. The kinetics of interfacial ion transport and cathodic delamination were tracked by in situ Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP) measurements. A destabilisation of the interface was detected for latex network structures with an increased degree of cross-linking. In contrast, a reduction of the average macromolecular chain length resulted in films with higher resistance to interfacial ion transport. No comparable effect of the polymer structure was detectable when latex films were applied on zinc. Calculated coefficients for water diffusion through the bulk polymer partially supported the SKP results obtained on iron.