Fabrication of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites to enhance anticorrosion performance of epoxy coatings

SiO2-coated Fe3O4 (Fe3O4@SiO2) nanocomposites were prepared by sol–gel method, and the anticorrosion performance of composite coatings was discussed. The structure of the Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites was verified through Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Composite epoxy coatings with same concentrations of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4@SiO2 were measured by scanning electron microscopy contact angle meter. More importantly, the Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites not only obtained a homogeneous dispersion and compatibility in epoxy resin but also exhibited an obvious superiority in enhancing the anticorrosion performance of epoxy coatings. Furthermore, the anticorrosion mechanism of Fe3O4@SiO2/epoxy composite coating was tentatively discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.