| Enhanced Corrosion Protection of Epoxy Coatings by Exfoliated and Hydrophobically Modified Kaolinite: Synergistic Effects of Barrier Properties and Hydrophobic Surface Treatment |
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Taegyue Ryue1,2, Seungyoung Choi1, HunJae Lee1,2, YongHo Cho1, MinYoung Shon1 |
1Department of energy and chemical materials and BB plus 21 team, Pukyong National University, 45 Yongso-ro, Nam-Gu, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
2Industry Division, Shipbuilding & Marine Center, Korea Testing & Research Institute, 8, Techno saneop-ro 29 beon-gil, Nam-gu, Ulsan, Republic of Korea |
Correspondence:
MinYoung Shon, Tel: +82 51 629 6440, Fax: +82 51 629 6429,
Email: myshon@pknu.ac.kr
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Received: 23 January 2026 • Accepted: 28 May 2026 |
| Abstract |
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In this study, we aimed to enhance the corrosion resistance of epoxy coatings by incorporating hydrophobically modified exfoliated kaolinite as a lamellar filler. The effects of LiCl concentration and treatment temperature during the exfoliation process were thoroughly investigated. Surface activation and modification were confirmed using FT-IR and XPS analysis. Contact angle measurements showed improved wettability of epoxy coat with the addition of kaolinite. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis demonstrated the superior corrosion resistance of epoxy coatings with 10 wt.% of hydrophobically modified kaolinite, maintaining coating resistance values of 108-109 Ω·cm2 after 670 h immersion in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution, two orders of magnitude higher than pristine epoxy (5.8×104 Ω·cm2). Contact angle increased from 65° to 76°, indicating enhanced hydrophobicity. Our study presents novel findings on the potential of barrier effects and hydrophobicity in corrosion prevention, offering a cost-effective method. |
| Keywords:
Kaolinite, Epoxy, EIS, Corrosion, Hydrophobicity |
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