Polymer Nanocomposite Coatings

Corrosion of Mg and its alloys is a main concern for implementing their structural components in the automobile, aerospace, electronics, and biomedical fields. Substantial dedication has been accomplished to develop corrosion-control approaches for Mg alloys. Majorly, protective coatings have been employed. Accordingly, epoxy resin, acrylic, phenolics, conjugated polymers, and many thermosets as well as thermoplastic resins have been utilized. Polymer nanocomposite coatings (PNCs) are an innovative assortment of anticorrosion coatings with the target of improving the performance of polymeric coatings. Nanomaterials, including metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon-based nanostructures, metal-organic frameworks, and nanoclays, seek to improve the barrier characteristics and surface protective performance of the polymer coatings. Besides, these reinforced nanoconstituents can also enhance the mechanical durability, thermal resistance, and weathering strength of polymer coatings. In this chapter, the anticorrosion PNCs for Mg alloys are made familiar, and anticorrosion mechanisms on Mg surface are described. The chapter specifies that the anticorrosion effectiveness of the PNC is governed by the characteristics of the polymer matrix, the inherent features of the reinforced nanomaterials (nature, morphology, dimensions, and specific surface area), the dispersion approaches and the weight percent of the nanomaterials inside the polymeric matrix, and the chemicals employed in altering the nanomaterial’s surface. The maximum corrosion protection can be attained through the homogeneous distribution of reinforced nanofillers inside polymeric film, and thus, numerous strategies on the surface treatments and fabrication procedures have been developed to achieve this objective. In summary, this chapter concisely describes the current progress and outlines the high-performance and multifunctional PNCs for Mg alloys.