Study on the corrosion protection performance of new ferrite/kaolin core-shell pigments in epoxy-based paints

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to prepare core-shell ferrites/kaolin pigments and compare their efficiency in protecting metal substrates to original ferrites. The new pigments are based on precipitating a shell of different ferrites that comprise only 10-20 per cent of the whole pigment on kaolin (core), which is a cheap and abundant ore comprising 80-90 per cent of the prepared pigment. These new pigments combine the properties of both its core and shell counter-parts, exhibiting improved corrosion protection properties. Furthermore, the pigments are represented as efficient, economically feasible and eco-friendly with comparable efficiency to that of original ferrites in protecting steel substrates.

Design/methodology/approach

The new pigments were characterized using different analytical and spectrophotometric techniques, e.g. transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray fluorescence. The pigments were then incorporated in epoxy-based paint formulations. The physico-mechanical properties of dry films and their corrosion properties were tested using accelerated laboratory tests in 3.5 per cent NaCl for 28 days.

Findings

The results of this study revealed that ferrite/kaolin core-shell pigments performance was almost close to that of the ferrite pigments in the protection of steel, and, at the same time, they confirmed good physico-mechanical properties.

Practical implications

These pigments can be applied in other polymer composites, e.g. rubber and plastics, as fillers and reinforcing agents.

Originality/value

Ferrite and ferrite/kaolin are environmentally friendly pigments, and they can impart high anticorrosive behavior to paint films with concomitant cost savings.

Citation

Ahmed, N.M., Abd El-Gawad, W.M. and Souaya, E.R. (2015), "Study on the corrosion protection performance of new ferrite/kaolin core-shell pigments in epoxy-based paints", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 63 No. 1, pp. 36-46. https://doi.org/10.1108/ACMM-12-2014-1475