CATHODIC DELAMINATION OF AN EPOXY POLYAMIDE COATING FROM STEEL

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to determine the mechanism responsible for debonding of an epoxy/polyamide coating from steel during cathodic delamination in 3.5% aqueous NaCl solutions. Coating failure always occurred near the interface between the coating and the oxide. The nitrogen content of the free surface of the prepared coatings was about 10%. However, the nitrogen content of the free surface dropped to only 5% after exposure to 1 N NaOH for four weeks and that of the coating failure surface after cathodic delamination was only about 2%, implying that the failure involved degradation of the polyamide curing agent by hydroxide ions formed at the steel surface by reduction of oxygen. That conclusion was supported by results obtained from curve fitting of C(ls) and O(ls) spectra. The intensity of components in the C(ls) spectra due to C—N and C=0 bonds in amide functional groups decreased significantly after coatings were exposed to NaOH or subjected to cathodic delamination. Small amounts of organic materials characteristic of the coating were observed on the substrate failure surface, perhaps indicating that the failure was cohesive within the coating but very close to the interface or that some products from degradation of the curing agent precipitated on the substrate. Use of silane coupling agents to retard cathodic delamination was also investigated. Coupling agents were added directly to the coating or applied to the substrate as a primer before application of the coating. Significant reduction in the rate of cathodic delamination was seen only when the silane coupling agent was applied to the substrate and cured at elevated temperatures before the epoxy/polyamide coating was applied. © 1990, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.