Water-Triggered Self-Healing Composite Coating: Fabrication and Anti-Corrosion Application

Self-healing coatings formulated by stimuli-responsive container technology are regarded as a prospective strategy for long-term corrosion protection. However, such types of coatings suffer from low coating adaptability and delays in corrosion protection because the occurrence of corrosion is prior to the release of healants from containers. Herein, we took advantage of the easy hydrolysis of MOF-199 for water-induced self-healing properties. Mixed corrosion inhibitors were loaded into MOF-199 and then incorporated into acrylic coating. The water sensitivity of MOF-199 was investigated and EIS tests were used to evaluate the self-healing performance. Due to the collapse of the porous MOF-199 structure, corrosion inhibitors could be released from MOF-199 with the invasion of water into acrylic coating. The corrosion resistance performance of damaged self-healing coating gradually increased. The metal exposed to artificial defects was well protected due to a barrier formed by corrosion inhibitors. Owing to these merits, this self-healing coating is recommended for use in various fields of engineering for corrosion resistance.