Epoxy Composite Coating with Excellent Anti-Corrosion and Self-Healing Properties Based on Acrylate Copolymers

Acrylate copolymers were successfully prepared by simple free radical polymerization. Acrylate copolymers are used as a functional filler in epoxy composite coatings. The epoxy groups in acrylate copolymers improve their dispersion and compatibility in the coatings, and their hydrogen bond network provides strong self-healing characteristics; that is, it can self-heal in water without other external factors. The hydrophobicity and adhesion of the epoxy composite coating were improved, and the corrosion resistance of the epoxy composite coating was significantly improved. For example, the low-frequency impedance of the acrylate copolymer WG/epoxy composite coating immersed in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution for 720 hours is 7.24×108 Ω cm3. This polymer material design strategy opens up a new possibility for the preparation of excellent anticorrosion coatings with high efficiency and self-healing functions