Corrosion protection with polyaniline and polypyrrole as anticorrosive additives for epoxy paint

Accelerated immersion tests have been carried out in the laboratory to investigate the performance of polyaniline emeraldine salt and polypyrrole composite with carbon black as additives of an epoxy paint coating. The steel panels coated with paint modified with polyaniline emeraldine salt presented the best protection after 720 h of exposure in 3.5% NaCl solution. The results indicated that this conducting polymer might works as both corrosion inhibitor and adhesion promoter. The protective mechanism imparted by conducting polymers is also discussed.