Absorbency and Corrosion Inhibition Property of Polyamide Epoxy and Superabsorbent Polymer Composite Material

Polyamide epoxy containing superabsorbent polymer (SAP) was investigated for its absorbency property and its application in the inhibition of corrosion in carbon steel. The type of SAP was sodium polyacrylate with relatively low crosslinking density. Fine particles of SAP was mixed with epoxy resin and subsequently the polyamide hardener was added allowing the polymerization of epoxy resin to occur while the SAP is dispersed within the polymer matrix. Prior to this, the SAP used for this application was examined in terms of its absorbency property in pure water and in sodium chloride solutions. The composite material, i.e. cured epoxy with SAP, was likewise examined for its absorbency property. Results showed decreased absorbency of pure SAP in sodium chloride solution compared with pure water, and the same trend was exhibited in the composite material but with much lower absorbency. The composite material was applied on the surface of carbon steel of 40 mm x 100 mm and thickness of 0.7mm and tested for anticorrosion property. The composite material gave better results than the control material of polyamide epoxy without SAP. The better corrosion resistance exhibited by the composite materials could be attributed to the self-healing property of SAP.