Incorporation of Montmorillonite/Silica Composite for the Corrosion Protection of an Epoxy Coating on a 2024 Aluminum Alloy Substrate

Layered silicate clay montmorillonite (MMT) has been used in nanocomposite coating to improve corrosion protection by reinforcing the barrier property. The better dispersion of MMT in the coating produces a higher barrier effect. Pretreatment with MMT could favor the delamination of clay platelets, facilitating MMT dispersion in the coating. In the present work, a montmorillonite/silica (MMT/Si) composite was prepared by the in situ sol-gel method. x-ray diffraction measurements and field-emission scanning electron microscopy observations showed silica crystal formation and increased basal spacing between the MMT platelets. Composite MMT/Si particles were introduced in an epoxy resin to reinforce the corrosion protection of the coating applied on the AA2024 surface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was performed to characterize the protective property of the coating. The results demonstrated the high barrier effect of the coating containing 5 wt% of MMT/Si. Adhesion evaluation after a salt spray test exhibited a high adherence to the epoxy coating containing MMT/Si.