Hybrid coating of polydimethylsiloxane with nano-ZrO2 on magnesium alloy for superior corrosion resistance

To enhance the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys, an organic-inorganic coating of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) hybridized with ZrO2 nanoparticles is developed, where the PDMS is selected as the polymeric matrix for superhydrophobic surface, and nano-ZrO2 particles as a physical barrier to strengthen and densify the polymeric matrix. The nanocomposite materials were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Electrochemical, dropping corrosion, and salt spray tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of the amount of ZrO2 on the corrosion property of the PDMS-ZrO2 coatings. Thermal stability, hydrophobicity, and corrosion resistance of the composite coatings are substantially improved by the introducing ZrO2 modifier into PDMS matrix. Depending on the ZrO2 content, the PDMS-ZrO2 hybrids exhibit superior corrosion resistance, where the corrosion current density of PDMS-ZrO2 coatings containing 10% (wt.%) ZrO2 decreases about five orders of magnitude compared with Mg alloy substrate. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that ZrO2 nanoparticles are filled in the PDMS matrix to provide a long-term protection in the salt spray test up to 210 h. The PDMS-ZrO2 coatings demonstrate an excellent shielding ability for the Mg alloy, which is attributed to the strong hydrophobic surface of PDMS and compact network structure separated by the physical barrier of ZrO2 nanoparticles in the PDMS chains. The proposed mixed matrix membrane guides a design direction for highly water-repellent coating with a long-term corrosion protection performance.