Preparation and Characterization of Durable Micro/Nanocapsules for Use in Self-Healing Anticorrosive Coatings

In the field of coatings, extensive laboratory research has been conducted in the last decade. In the present work, effectiveness of epoxy resin filled micro/nanocapsules was investigated for future using in healing of cracks generated in coatings. Micro/nanocapsules were prepared by in situ polymerization of urea-formaldehyde resin to form shell over epoxy resin droplets. The optimal process parameters for synthesizing the micro/nanocapsules were selected. The as-synthesized capsules were studied by various characterizations techniques, including scanning electron microscope (SEM), particle size analyzer (PSA), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results indicate that micro/nanocapsules containing epoxy resins can be synthesized successfully. The rough outer surface of microcapsule is composed of agglomerated urea-formaldehyde nanoparticles. They basically exhibit good storage stability at room temperature, and they are chemically stable before the heating temperature is up to approximately 250 degrees C.