Simultaneously Improving the Anticorrosion and Antiscratch Performance of Epoxy Coatings with Graphite Fluoride via Large-Scale Preparation

Hydrophobic graphite fluoride (GrF)-reinforced epoxy coatings are fabricated on steel substrate with a simple, solventless, and surfactant-free approach. The contact angle can be enhanced from 72 degrees to 103 degrees after the introduction of 1 wt % GrF to epoxy, suggesting the superior hydrophobic surface. The composite coatings on steel substrate exhibit the prominent corrosion protection performance as revealed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The mechanism responsible for the corrosion resistance enhancement can be attributed to the synergistic effects of electrical insulating, water repellent, and barrier properties, resulting from the well-dispersed superhydrophobic GrF platelets in epoxy matrix. Moreover, 1 wt % GrF/epoxy coatings also present significant scratch resistance performance due to the uniform dispersion of the inorganic platelets and the enhanced storage modulus. The results indicate that constructing GrF/epoxy coatings with improved corrosion protection and scratch resistance property are capable of preventing metals suffering from corrosion attack and crack damages with a scalable fashion.