Study of the Influence of Metal Surface Quality on the Performance of an Epoxy Coating

Abstract

In the present work, an EC used for steel corrosion protection was characterized by Ec techniques. This study aimed to describe the effect of the steel roughness surface on the performance of EC, through EIS and other methods. The studied metal was a low-strength CS immersed in a 3.5% NaCl solution. The CS surface was obtained by polishing it (metal electrodes) with an abrasive paper of 120, 600 and 1200 mesh. Then, the electrodes were painted with an anti-corrosive EC, which contained Zn3 (PO4)2 as an anti-corrosion agent. The study of the influence of the CS surface Ra and its corrosion behaviour and of the evolution of the protective capacity systems on the EC performance was made by stationary (Ecorr and Tafel plot) and no-stationary Ec techniques (EIS and CA). In order to confirm the detachment and blistering on the coating, the coated CS samples were analyzed by a salt spray in a 7.69 % NaCl solution, with an IT of 15 days. The obtained results showed that the CS surface state directly influenced the coating performance and the Ec parameter values variation, as a function of IT in the NaCl solution. EIS was the most valid Ec method for the studied coatings.