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Kavitha Priya. D,
L. Jayalakshmi,
Janakan S. Saral,
S. Rammohan,
D. Sudha,
Karthi G,
- Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Mailam Engineering College, Mailam, Tamil Nadu, India
- Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Sethu Institute of Technology, Sethu Institute of Technology, Kariyapatti, Tamil Nadu, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering, Kollam, TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vel Tech Multitech Dr. Rangarajan Dr. Sakunthala Engineering college, Avadi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Associate Professor, Department of Physics, R.M.K. Engineering College, RSM Nagar, Tamil Nadu, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Al-Ameen Engineering College (Autonomous), Tamil Nadu, India
Abstract
Chloride ions, dissolved oxygen, moisture and cyclic mechanical damage all infiltrate protective coatings and cause localized corrosion to occur in marine steel structures, resulting in continuous degradation. In this study, a self-healing polyurethane nanocomposite coating is developed by using microencapsulated corrosion inhibitors and the formulation effects are investigated using the Response Surface Methodology and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy techniques. Using a Box-Behnken design, loading of microcapsules and hexagonal boron nitride nanofiller, and the capsule size were varied to determine the optimal formulation for improving low frequency impedance and post-damage recovery. Carbon-steel panels are coated with polyurethane, scribed on purpose and exposed to artificial seawater. The EIS responses prior to damage, immediately following the scratching and during healing are measures of barrier restoration and corrosion suppression. The optimized formulation features damage induced protection by tortuous path nanofiller and damage induced inhibitor release which results in higher impedance and faster electrochemical recovery as compared to neat polyurethane and single-additive controls. The method provides for a statistically optimized route for durable, autonomous protective coatings for aggressive service conditions at sea with decreased reliance on external heating.
Keywords: Self-healing polyurethane; nanocomposite coatings; microcapsules; corrosion inhibitors; marine corrosion; RSM; EIS.
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Journal of Polymer & Composites
| Volume | 14 | |
| 05 | ||
| Received | 29/08/2026 | |
| Accepted | 12/10/2026 | |
| Published | 27/10/2026 | |
| Publication Time | 59 Days |