Coating of Steel by Alkyd Resin Reinforced with Al2O3 Nanoparticles to Improve Corrosion Resistance

In this study, an alkyd/Al2O3 nanocomposite coating was prepared and applied on a stainless steel substrate. The Al2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) with different weight ratios (1, 2, and 3 wt.%) were added to the alkyd resin and coated on the substrate via dip-coating technique. Then, the dispersion of NPs in the coating film was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning probe microscopy (SPM). The coating thickness estimated by SEM was 20 mu m. The corrosion behavior of the coating was examined through the Tafel polarization and salt spray tests. The results showed that the addition of Al2O3 NPs up to 2 wt.% will result in a dense and homogeneous coating which protects the substrate leading to lower corrosion current density from 9.2 x 10(-6) to 1.65x10(-9) A/cm(2) compared with the uncoated stainless steel.