Nanofiber Composite Coating with Self-Healing and Active Anticorrosive Performances

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Corrosion Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Metal corrosion is a significant challenge, leading to material degradation and economic losses.
• Existing anticorrosion strategies often lack long-term effectiveness or self-repair capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a nanofiber-supported anticorrosion coating with synergistic self-healing and active corrosion inhibition.
• To investigate the coating's ability to repair defects and maintain protective performance over multiple cycles.

Main Methods:

• A facile electrospinning combined coating technique was employed.
• Polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers loaded with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT)-halloysite nanotubes (HNTs-MBT) were deposited onto metal substrates.
• The coating's self-healing and corrosion inhibition properties were evaluated through damage-healing cycles and electrochemical tests.

Main Results:

• The developed coating demonstrated synergistic self-healing and active corrosion inhibition.
• The encapsulated MBT was released in a pH-triggered manner for instant protection.
• Coating defects were repeatedly repaired via thermal treatment, with sustained anticorrosion efficiency over three cycles.
• The repaired coating exhibited durable anticorrosion performance attributed to combined thermal-triggered healing and active inhibition.

Conclusions:

• The dual-functional coating provides efficient and durable anticorrosive performance.
• This approach shows significant promise for long-term corrosion protection of metals.