A brief review on the development of self-healing, hydrophobic and antifouling epoxy coating

Abstract

Epoxy coatings are the most used industrial coating system. While corrosion resistance through the barrier performance of the coating is well tested, the addition of multifunctionality is the new research objective. The responsiveness of the epoxy coating to the mechanical damage will not only add to its barrier performance but also delay the corrosion of the underlying metal. Such responsiveness of the coating is desired to manage the maintenance schedule. Various methods tested to add the “self-healing” attribute to the epoxy coatings are discussed. Surface modification to add hydrophobic character to the epoxy coating is also another functionality for value addition and is useful in many applications. For marine applications, fouling resistance is very important. Attempts made to develop anti-fouling epoxy coating are also reviewed. The brief review, giving a broad overview of the research trend, is intended to give a way forward in the development of the epoxy coating.