Effect of iron powder on zinc reactivity and anticorrosion performance of zinc-rich epoxy coatings

This study investigated the impact of iron powder on zinc reactivity and anticorrosion performance of zinc-rich epoxy (ZRE) coatings. Incorporating iron powder into ZRE coatings enhanced their overall anticorrosion performance, as evidenced by improved cathodic protection and reduced rust creep in salt spray tests. Furthermore, salt spray and EIS tests on cracked ZRE coatings demonstrated the enhanced sacrificial cathodic protection and physical barrier property with the inclusion of iron powder, attributed to the promoted sacrificial oxidation of zinc particles at damaged areas. The enhanced zinc dissolution in the presence of iron powder was also observed in immersion tests and potentiodynamic polarization tests on compressed Zn and ZnFe pellets.