Development of nanocomposite coatings with improved mechanical, thermal, and corrosion protection properties

In this study, new composite coatings are fabricated and investigated for their applications as the metal coating. The studied coatings consist of two-layered composites with various nanoparticulates as fillers in a polymeric matrix (styrene acrylic). The first layer bonded to the steel plate uses a combination of zinc particles, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and graphene nanoplatelets. For the second layer, hexagonal boron nitride with high electrical insulation properties is added to the matrix. The morphology of the nanoparticulates is conducted using a scanning electron microscope. The coefficient of thermal expansion, cathodic disbondment resistance, gas penetration, and scratch resistance of the coatings are evaluated. The corroded area on the cathodic disbondment test specimens reduced down up to 90% for the composite with zinc (20 wt%), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (2 wt%), and graphene nanoplatelets (2 wt%), compared to a specimen coated with a pure polymer. It is seen that the presence of nanoparticulates decreased gas permeation and thermal expansion of the matrix by 75% and 65%, respectively. The addition of nanoparticulates also enhanced scratch resistance of the coating composites.