Anti-corrosion effect of chitin and chitosan nanoparticles in epoxy coatings

In recent years, the incorporation of nanoparticles and corrosion inhibitors into epoxy coatings has become increasingly important in order to address the growing demand for advanced anti-corrosion coatings. In this study, various amounts of extracted chitin and chitosan nanoparticles from shrimp ranging from 0 to 3% wt. were added to an epoxy coating. The zeta potential of particles and scanning electron microscope were applied to determine average particle size and distribution of particle in the epoxy coating. Thermal stability, adhesion properties and corrosion behavior of reinforced coating were investigated. The epoxy coating with a 2%wt chitin additive showed a more uniform distribution. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and the thermogravimetric analysis test (TGA) illustrated that the addition of chitin and chitosan additives lead to chemical changes in the structure and improve the thermal stability of epoxy coatings. The addition of 2%wt chitin nanoparticles improved the mechanical properties of the coatings, particularly the adhesion resistance. Corrosion testing revealed that the epoxy coating containing 2% chitin and chitosan nanoparticles exhibited a low corrosion rate, high load transfer resistance, and a double layer capacity when exposed to a 3.5% NaCl solution.