Synergistic Effect of Nanoparticles: Enhanced Mechanical and Corrosion Protection Properties of Epoxy Coatings Incorporated with SiO 2 and ZrO 2 .

This research paper presents the fabrication of epoxy coatings along with the hybrid combination of SiO 2 and ZrO 2 . The epoxy resin is incorporated with SiO 2 as the primary pigment and ZrO 2 as the synergist pigment. The study delves into the adhesion, barrier, and anti-corrosion properties of these coatings, enriched with silica and zirconium nanoparticles, and investigates their impact on the final properties of the epoxy coating. The epoxy resin, a Diglycidyl ether bisphenol-A (DGEBA) type, is cured with a polyamidoamine adduct-based curing agent. To evaluate the protective performance of silica SiO 2 and zirconia ZrO 2 nanoparticles in epoxy coatings, the coated samples were tested in a 3.5% NaCl solution. The experimental results clearly demonstrate a remarkable improvement in the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), and Elastic Modulus. In comparison to using SiO 2 separately, the incorporation of both ZrO 2 and SiO 2 resulted in a substantial increase of 43.5% in UTS, 74.2% in YS, and 8.2% in Elastic Modulus. The corrosion test results revealed that the combination of DGEBA, SiO 2 , and ZrO 2 significantly enhanced the anti-corrosion efficiency of the organic coatings. Both these pigments exhibited superior anti-corrosion effects and mechanical properties compared to conventional epoxy coatings, leading to a substantial increase in the anti-corrosion efficiency of the developed coating. This research focuses the potential of SiO 2 and ZrO 2 in hybrid combination for applications, where mechanical, corrosion and higher adhesion to the substrates are of prime importance.