A novel UV-curable composite coating with superior anti-corrosion and mechanical properties

The UV curing method is free from volatile organic compounds (VOC) and exhibits high curing efficiency. However, pore flaws and inadequate mechanical qualities after cure greatly hinder their utilization in metal anti-corrosion. Herein, layered double hydroxides (LDH) supported by molybdic acid and cerium ions were synthesized in situ on the sericite (SC) surface, enhancing the shielding, corrosion inhibition, resin compatibility, and cross-linking density of the coating. Compared with carbon steel immersed in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, the incorporation of SC/KH560@LDH reduced the corrosion current density (I_corr) from 2.001 × 10⁻⁵ A/cm² to 7.883 × 10⁻⁶ A/cm². Moreover, the low-frequency impedance of the UV-SC/KH560@LDH coating remained high at 1.939 × 10¹⁰ Ω·cm² after 70 days of immersion in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The excellent corrosion resistance of UV-SC/KH560@LDH can be attributed to the barrier properties of the filler, the chloride ion trapping, and the passivation effect. Furthermore, the UV-curable alkyd resin used in this work formed a chemical bond with the metal substrate, enhancing the mechanical properties of the coating. The adhesion strength of the UV-SC/KH560@LDH was measured at 11.50 MPa. The thickness loss (21.3 μm) of the UV-SC/KH560@LDH were minimal after 5000 cycles of wear. A new research concept for preparing the UV-SC/KH560@LDH with superior anti-corrosion and mechanical properties for carbon steel plate surfaces has been proposed to meet the demands of practical applications.