PROTECTIVE ACTION OF METALLOPOLYMER COATINGS.

Metallopolymer coatings possess especially valuable properties as a result of the interaction of the metal deposited on the cathode with the functional groups of the polymer. The coatings were produced on steel samples by electrode deposition. The corrosion resistance of the protective (zinc) metallopolymer coatings is not explicitly related to the corrosion resistance of the purely polymer film, but depends to a substantial degree on the presence of reactive functional groups in the polymer. Carboxyl groups, with which zinc interacts according to the type of salt formation and forms relatively very stable bonds, are especially effective in the sense. In an aggressive medium, the zinc-polymer coating dissolves first in places where this organometallic compound is not present. As the indicated compound breaks down, new anodic regions arise, which leads to fluctuations of the electrode potential. As a result, the period of protective action of the metal is lengthened. When a polymer with blocked carboxyl groups is used, the corrosion resistance of the metallopolymer coating is sharply reduced.