Protective behaviors of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole intercalated Zn–Al-layered double hydroxide coating

A nanocontainer with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT)-intercalated Zn–Al-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) was synthesized through co-precipitation. The structures of the LDH and the nanocontainer were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The nanocontainer was added into 3.5 wt% NaCl solutions with different pH values to study its effect on the protection of Q345 steel. The corrosion rate of Q345 steel in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution with a pH value of 3 was lower than those in neutral and alkali solutions. Moreover, the addition of nanocontainers into the epoxy resin coating improved the performance of the coating and facilitated self-healing by releasing MBT inhibitors into the scratched area.