Dispersion of carbon nanotubes in nanostructured epoxy systems for coating application

• Published in: Progress in organic coatings 2014-09, Vol.77 (9), p.1452-1458
• Main Authors: Esposito, L.H., Ramos, J.A., Kortaberria, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abrasion; Abrasion resistance; Atomic force microscopy; Block copolymers; Carbon nanotubes; Coating; Contact angle; Dispersions; Multi-walled carbon nanotubes; Nanostructure; Nanostructuring
• ISSN: 0300-9440; 1873-331X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.porgcoat.2014.05.001

•A tailor-made epoxy coating is investigated as industrial coating.•Nanostructured epoxy based on block copolymer is generated by spraying technique.•Improved carbon nanotubes dispersion and hydrophobicity due to block copolymer.•Consequently, abrasion and thermal stability performance of coating are improved.•Designed epoxy coating maintains conventional epoxy-coating properties. This study about the dispersion of carbon nanotubes into an epoxy matrix can be considered as a first approach to investigate a potential industrial coating. In order to well disperse carboxylic acid-modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (a-MWCNT) in a commercial epoxy-based resin, its nanostructuring with an amphiphilic epoxidized styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene triblock copolymer that also acts as surfactant was carried out. In order to determine if coating performance is suitable for industrial applications, morphologies generated for copolymer-modified coating and the dispersion of a-MWCNT was characterized by atomic force microscopy. Contact angle measurements, Taber abrasion testing and thermogravimetric analysis were also performed. A tailor-made coating was developed with improved a-MWCNT dispersion and hydrophobicity due to the effect of block copolymer. System modified with 5wt% of block copolymer and filled with 1wt% a-MWCNT present the lowest value in weight loss in the wear test, while systems filled with 0.2wt% of a-MWCNT showed increased thermal stability. Coating properties analyzed depend largely on the amount of components and a-MWCNT dispersion level, thus adding new application possibilities to the coatings, while most of the conventional epoxy-coating advantages are retained.