Triton X-100 assisted composite of fluorinated graphene and ZIF-8 for epoxy coatings with high corrosion and wear resistance on carbon steel

In this study, ZIF-8 was used to modify fluorinated graphene (FG) to enhance its compatibility with epoxy resins (EP). Triton X-100 (TX-100) was innovatively used to modify the high F-content FG, enabling the surface to be loaded with large amounts of ZIF-8. SEM, XRD, FT-IR, TGA and XPS results confirmed the successful preparation of the [email protected] (FZ). Compared to EP coating, the FG-modified epoxy coatings (FG/EP coatings) had improved corrosion resistance, mechanical properties and wear resistance, and especially long-term corrosion resistance by more than two orders of magnitude. However, the low compatibility of FG with the resin limited the efficient improvement of the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of the FG/EP coatings. In contrast, the FZ/EP coatings achieved significant improvements in corrosion resistance, mechanical properties, and wear resistance, with the coatings displaying excellent corrosion resistance (|Z|0.01 Hz close to 1.01 × 1011 Ω·cm2) after 10,000 h immersion. The high F content 3FZ(T)/EP coating modified by TX-100 also exhibited excellent wear resistance with a 98.3 % reduction in wear rate compared to the EP coating. The significant improvements in the performances of the FZ/EP coatings are attributed to the high compatibility of FZ with epoxy resins, the efficient physical barrier, and the ability of FZ to inhibit electron transport, as well as the high crosslink density of the FZ/EP coatings. This study provides a reference for the development of ultra-high corrosion and wear-resistant coatings.