Formulation of Petrolatum/Clay Nanocomposite Coating and Characterization of its Corrosion Resistance Properties

Montmorillonite organoclay, in different amounts (between 1 to 5 wt %), was incorporated into the petrolatum using mechanical stirring and sonication process. Anti-corrosive properties of the compounded nanocomposites were investigated using salt spray and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDX) showed that the interlayer spacing of clays was increased after addition of petrolatum resin along with applying shear force and ultrasounication. Electrochemical analyses showed improvement in the barrier and anti-corrosive characteristics of formulated nanocomposite coatings. The best performance of formulated coatings was achieved with coating containing 1 wt % clay concentration.