Anti-corrosive and scale inhibiting polymer-based functional coating with internal and external regulation of TiO2 whiskers

Abstract

A novel multi-functional carrier of mesoporous titanium dioxide whiskers (TiO2(w)) modified by ethylenediamine tetra (methylene phosphonic acid) (EDTMPA) and imidazoline was devised in epoxy coating to improve the anti-corrosion and scale inhibition properties of metal surface. Rigorous characterization using analytical techniques showed that a mesoporous structure was developed on the TiO2(w). EDTMPA and imidazoline were successfully grafted on the outer and inner surfaces of mesoporous TiO2(w) to synthesize iETiO2(w). The results demonstrated that the corrosion resistance of the final iETiO2(w) epoxy coating is 40 times higher than that of the conventional unmodified OTiO2(w) epoxy coating. The enhanced corrosion resistance of the iETiO2(w) functional coating is due to the chelation of the scaling cations by EDTMPA and electron sharing between imidazoline and Fe. Scale formation on the iETiO2(w) coating is 35 times lower than that on the unmodified OTiO2(w) epoxy coating. In addition, EDTMPA and imidazoline act synergistically in promoting the barrier property of mesoporous TiO2(w) in epoxy coating. It is believed that this novel, simple, and inexpensive route for fabricating functional surface protective coatings on various metallic materials will have a wide range of practical applications.