Active Corrosion Protection by Epoxy Coating on Li2CO3-Pretreated Anodized Aluminum Alloy 2024-T3

The fast leaching and robust barrier property of inhibitors are the basic fundamentals for the formation of active protective coatings to protect aluminum alloys. Herein, an active protective surface was developed based on an epoxy coating and an underlying lithium carbonate (Li2CO3)-treated anodized aluminum alloy 2024-T3. The morphology of the Li-LDH layer was studied to know its formation mechanism. The electrochemical studies revealed that the fast and adequate leaching of lithium led to a substantial increment of corrosion resistance of the scratched coating in 3.5 wt% NaCl from 1 to 8 days. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) results indicated that Li was distributed in the lateral direction and covered the scratched area. The 3D images indicated that different lithium compounds were formed and 90% of the scratched area was covered with the lithium protective layer over immersion time. A combined approach of morphology observations, electrochemical measurements, and ToF-SIMS showed the lithium protective layer offered good corrosion resistance. On the contrary, lithium provided fast and adequate leaching from the coating, demonstrating good active protection for aluminum and its alloys.

Bond Characteristics and Experimental Behavior of Textured Epoxy-coated Rebars Used in Concrete Bridge Decks

The deterioration of bridge decks is a problem typically associated with the corrosion of the reinforcing steel. This issue was partially controlled during the 1970s with the incorporation of the epoxy-coating protection system. However, research later demonstrated that the smooth surface resulting from the epoxy-coating application reduces most of the friction between the rebar and the surrounding concrete. Consequently, forces acting on the rib faces are reconfigured in such a way that the radial components increase, triggering the early development of cracks. To mitigate both the reduction of bonding and the formation of cracks, the Illinois Department of Transportation proposed a new type of coated bars: textured epoxy-coated (TEC) bars. Over the last few years, different projects have been executed to understand and improve the characteristics of TEC rebars. This report is a continuation of research performed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to evaluate the bond behavior of TEC bars. The experimental program starts by characterizing, qualitatively and quantitatively, the roughness of the TEC rebars. Next, their bond-slip interaction embedded in concrete is evaluated through pull-out tests. Finite element models of these tests are developed to validate the behavior observed as the textured reinforcement loses anchorage with concrete. Based on these results, the experimental program then aims to study the impact of the drying shrinkage, temperature change, and flexural demands on two large-scale bridge deck specimens reinforced, individually, with TEC and standard epoxy-coated bars. The results collected from both specimens using digital image correlation and strain gauges are compared to explore the differences exhibited by the traditional and the new type of reinforcement coatings in terms of stress distribution in bridge decks. Finally, given the specialized equipment and time-consuming procedure needed to calculate the roughness parameters of TEC bars, an empirical, weight-based approach is developed as a rapid method for assessing the rebars’ roughness on-site.

The effect of chemical treatment on the adhesion strength and structural integrity of the epoxy coatings

This research aims to investigate the effect of chemical treatment on the integrity of the epoxy coating on mild steel substrates. Grit blasted steel samples were chemically treated in 10 vol.% NaOCl solution, 10 vol.% CrCl3 and 30 vol.% H3PO4 - 5 vol.% HNO3 solutions prior to coating application. Post-cleaning surface morphology and chemical composition revealed the formation of oxidation products on steel surface. Under optimized conditions, a dry film thickness of 135 ± 3 m of epoxy coating was achieved. The CT2 sample (pre-treated with CrCl3) presented higher coating adhesion strength (4.12 MPa) and the lowest rust area of 0.03 % compared to other chemically treated samples during 720 hours of immersion in 5 wt.% NaCl solution. The coating degradation mechanism was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) after 24, 48, 72 and 120 hours of immersion in 3.5 wt. % NaCl solution. EIS analysis of the coated samples pretreated with NaOCl and CrCl3 solutions exhibited low water uptake and limited corrosion due to hindrance in the diffusion of ionic species through the coating. However, coated steel samples pretreated in acidic solutions displayed appreciable corrosion damage as confirmed from saly spray and immersion tests. For instance, the delamination of the CT3 and CT4 (acid pre-treated) coatings was confirmed from the EIS analysis., which represented the formation of a double layer and occurrence of faradaic (corrosion) reactions as the coating-substrate interface, resulting in 15 – 30% delamination in 120 hours of exposure.