Photostable electroactive polymer based nanocomposite films for the protection of mild steel from corrosion

The deterioration of organic film due to chemical and UV attack is an increasing concern in paint technology. Thus, the development of new material for UV blocking anticorrosive film draws significant attention in materials science research. This can be achieved by the incorporation of wide band gap nanoparticles like titania (TiO ₂ NPs) and zirconia (ZrO ₂ NPs) in electroactive polymer namely poly(pyridine-4-yl-methyl) methacrylate-co-butyl methacrylate (poly(PyMMA-co-BMA)) film (hybrid film) for the protection of mild steel (MS) from corrosion. The TiO ₂ NPs and ZrO ₂ NPs in combination with polymer absorb more UV light which prevents the deterioration of film. The hybrid material made of poly(PyMMA-co-BMA) and wide band gap nanoparticles was prepared by in situ solution polymerization. The resultant hybrid materials were characterized by various techniques namely X-ray diffraction studies (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The hybrid materials were deposited as film on the MS by spin coating method. The anticorrosive performance of hybrid films was analysed out using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies. The surface examination of films were characterized with scanning electron microscope to confirm the formation of poly(PyMMA-co-BMA) and its different nanocomposite films on MS. The UV blocking studies were also carried out using UV-visible spectroscopy. The electrochemical and optical studies reveals that the poly(PyMMA-co-BMA)/TiO ₂ film on MS in 3.5% (w/v) NaCl provides better protection against corrosion than ZrO ₂ based nanocomposite hybrid film.