Epoxy coatings with nanostructured biocidal additives for the control and mitigation of biocorrosion

Abstract

This work introduces an epoxy coating formulation where a nanostructured zeolite/silver composite is used as biocide. This additive is characterized by the presence of silver nanoparticles supported on micrometric crystals of zeolite A. It is observed that an effective protection against biocorrosion could be obtained by varying the concentration of the biocide. The incorporation of the silver/zeolite solid particles in the epoxy base required the use of a dispersant. The SEM images of the cured coatings on metallic substrates of SAE 1010 steel showed a good distribution of the biocide crystals in the dry film of the coating. The aesthetic properties of the films were preserved, since no dark zones promoted by silver oxidation were observed. The microbiological activity against P. aeruginosa of the epoxy-polyamide coatings formulated with the nanocomposite was statistically measured by cell quantification in the biofilm.