Assessment of the anticorrosion and antifouling performances of a novel hybrid epoxy-siliconized coating

Preventing material loss due to corrosion and fouling of steel surfaces is a daunting challenge for the oil and gas industries. The use of protective polymeric coatings containing active biocides is an interesting approach to address this problem. The development of active anticorrosion/antifouling coatings via this approach requires a careful design and optimization of the coating matrix, the antibacterial activity of the biocide, and ultimately achieving a synergy between the two components. In this study, a novel hybrid epoxy-siliconized coating was synthesized through a sol-gel technique, and embedded with different organic and inorganic biocides. The parent coating and the coating embedded with biocides were applied on mild steel sheets and their corrosion protection performance was evaluated under laboratory conditions using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and visual observations. The field testing of the anticorrosion and antifouling properties of all coatings was conducted by the in-situ exposure of the coated panels to seawater at a marine exposure site. Both lab and field testing results indicate that some biocides have a positive impact on the anticorrosion and antifouling behavior of the hybrid coating, while other biocides lack a synergy with the newly-developed hybrid coating.