Microfluidic Electrospinning Core-Shell Nanofibers for Anti-Corrosion Coatings With Efficient Self-Healing Properties

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Corrosion Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Self-healing materials are crucial for metal anti-corrosion applications.
• Improving self-healing efficiency is key to advancing these materials.
• Existing methods face limitations in healing speed and overall effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop advanced anti-corrosion coatings with enhanced self-healing capabilities.
• To investigate the use of microfluidic electrospinning and UV-curable agents for coating fabrication.
• To evaluate the healing efficiency, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties of the novel coatings.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of core-shell nanofibers using microfluidic electrospinning.
• Incorporation of UV-curable healing agents into the nanofibers.
• Testing of coating healing time, corrosion current density (Icorr) under repeated damage/healing cycles, and mechanical properties (tensile, bending, impact strength).

Main Results:

• Complete healing of damaged composite coatings within 30 minutes, demonstrating high healing efficiency.
• Lower corrosion current density in composite coatings compared to pure resin coatings after repeated damage and healing cycles.
• Enhanced mechanical properties, including tensile strength, bending strength, and impact strength, compared to pure resin coatings.

Conclusions:

• The developed self-healing anti-corrosion coatings exhibit outstanding healing efficiency and durability.
• The microfluidic electrospinning approach provides a viable strategy for creating high-performance self-healing materials.
• These findings significantly enhance the practicality of self-healing coatings for anti-corrosion applications, particularly in demanding environments.