Surface modification of acrylic coating with anti‐corrosion and anti‐UV materials

Abstract The use of organic coatings is the most common method of corrosion protection of metal structures in aggressive environments which act as a barrier between the corrosive environment and the metal structure. In this work, to increase the corrosion resistance and UV resistance of steel structures, an acrylic coating containing titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), zinc phosphate (ZP), and benzophenone was used and the coating was characterized by open circuit potential (OCP) techniques, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), dynamic polarization, Adhesive strength, salt spray, and UV weathering. The results showed that in the case of the acrylic sample, it has poor corrosion resistance and requires the presence of nanofillers. With the presence of TiO 2 nanofillers, microporous and other defects were effectively blocked and the penetration of corrosive components into the interface of the metal coating and substrate was prevented. In the presence of ZP along with TiO 2 , all anodic and cathodic sites were coated with a film consisting of inhibitors released from zinc phosphate nanoparticles and thus acted as a barrier against electrolyte penetration into active metal sites. With the presence of an anti‐UV agent, benzophenone partially blocked surface defects and along with corrosion products prevented a sharp drop in resistance over longer periods.