Modification of Natural Zeolite for Anticorrosive Paint Preparation

Metal surface coating occupies an important place in the industry. The most important external factor on metal surfaces is corrosion. Corrosion is a natural process that occurs because of a chemical reaction between the metal surfaces and the medium. It causes the degradation of metals. Three methods are used the prevent corrosion. These methods are cathodic protection, anodic protection, and barrier coatings. In this study, it was aimed to develop environmentally friendly corrosion-resistant paint for the barrier coatings, by using zeolite material which has natural characteristics of corrosion resistance. In other words, it was aimed to gain the anticorrosive effect to the production of corrosion-resistant paint by adding modified natural zeolite to the paint. Microscale zeolite was modified by using lanthanum (III) nitrate, zinc acetate, and magnesium chloride solutions. The best results were obtained with a zeolite size of 0.8869 μm and using a 60% zeolite/solution volume ratio. It can be said from the results of the experiments that; thin zeolite film applications are very successful for corrosion resistance paint production. Modified natural zeolite coatings show a very good ability to protect surfaces from corrosion. The results of these procedures are positive and promising. The best result is obtained by zeolite with size reduction and 60% zeolite/solution by volume ratio. The amount of zinc phosphate was greatly reduced. High and low contents of zinc phosphates have almost the same anticorrosive effect with zeolite-modified paint formulations. As a result, cation-exchanged zeolites can be considered a safe and efficient alternative to traditional hazardous pigments in protecting steel surfaces.