The anticorrosive performance

of cost saving zeolites

Walaa M. Abd El-Gawad and Nivin M. Ahmed
Department of Polymers and Pigments, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
Mohamed M. Selim
Department of Physical Chemistry, National Research Center, Dokki, Egypt
E. Hamed
Department of Chemistry, Ain Shams University Faculty of Science, Cairo, Egypt, and
Eglal R. Souaya
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Saray El Kobba, Egypt

Abstract
Purpose – In recent years, zeolites have been highlighted as a new component in many industrial applications owing to their unique properties. The
purpose of this study is to apply three prepared types of zeolites Na-X, Na-Y and hydroxysodalite (Na-HS) in anticorrosive paint formulations to be
evaluated as a partial replacement to zinc phosphate in anticorrosive paint formulations to protect carbon steel.
Design/methodology/approach – The three types of zeolites were characterized using different instrumental analysis such as X-ray diffraction,
scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence. Evaluation of zeolites was done using American society for material and testing. Then, they
were incorporated in paint formulations based on medium oil-modified soya-bean dehydrated castor oil alkyd resin in the presence and absence of
zinc phosphate. Their corrosion behavior was estimated using both immersion test and electrochemical impedance measurements in 3.5% NaCl.
Findings – Generally, the prepared zeolites exhibited good corrosion protection performance, but in presence of zinc phosphate the performance
was better. This proves that, zeolites by themselves can resist corrosion but not efficiently, while in presence of zinc phosphate and owing to a
synergistic effect between them, the performance was better. This opens the way to partial replacement of zinc phosphate with another safer and
cheaper ingredient, which is zeolite.
Practical implications – The three zeolites can be applied in many industries besides the paint industry, such as reinforcing filler in rubber, plastics
and ceramic composites, also can be applied in paper filling, paper coatings and electrical insulation.
Originality/value – The three zeolites are environmentally friendly materials that can partially replace other expensive anticorrosive pigments (e.g.
zinc phosphate).
Keywords Coatings, Pigments, Zeolites, Anticorrosive pigments, Corrosion, Alkyd coatings, Zinc phosphate
Paper type Research paper

Introduction protection against environmental attack on metals and alloys

Corrosion is one of the most concerning problems that cause
equipment shutdown, material failure, waste of valuable
resources, etc. It is considered as metallic cancer, which
deteriorates the materials via chemical and/or electrochemical
reaction with the metal and its environment. It cannot be fully
eradicated but can be overcome by various ways such as
alloying of metals, cleaning of environment, use of inhibitors
and application of paints and coatings. Accordingly, the efforts
to create and develop more efficient methods to prevent
corrosion are now ongoing. The most widespread method is
using paints and coatings; their easiness of application and their
cheap price are the main reasons. These coatings provide
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on
Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/0369-9420.htm
for a quite long time (Ahmad et al., 2012; Heydarpour et al.,
2014; Khaladkar, 2000; Sørensen et al., 2009).
Previously, anticorrosive paints used to contain lead or
hexavalent chromium compounds as active pigments; these
pigments contaminate the environment while causing a risk to
human health. Many attempts were made to find possible
replacements for chromates and lead compounds such as zinc
phosphate, which became the leading substitute for toxic
inhibitors. Despite the high corrosion protection behavior of
zinc phosphate, it is still very expensive. Other cost-effective
strategies have been developed to improve the performance of
the anticorrosive pigments. One of these strategies is the
employment of more effective complementary cheap materials
(Deyá, et al., 2001; Deyá, et al., 2002; Deyá, et al., 2003;
Rassouli et al., 2017; Vetere et al., 2001).

Received 4 September 2018

Pigment & Resin Technology
Revised 19 November 2018
48/4 (2019) 317–328 3 December 2018
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 0369-9420] 6 December 2018
[DOI 10.1108/PRT-09-2018-0094] Accepted 9 December 2018

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 Performance of cost saving zeolites
Walaa M. Abd El-Gawad et al.
Zeolites constitute versatile materials that have found many
applications in different fields, but until now, their employment
in paints has been limited. Zeolites are crystalline-
aluminosilicates, which consist of an array of corner-sharing
SiO4 4 or AlO4 5 tetrahedrals. These building blocks became
arranged in a periodic manner to form channels and cages with
large specific surface areas, typically above 300 m2/g, with
volume of internal voids above 0.1cm3/g. Zeolites can be
classified according to the Si/Al ratio as “low silica zeolites,”
“intermediate silica zeolites” and “high silica zeolites.” It is well
known that Si/Al ratio in X-zeolites is higher than 1 and less
than 3, while in Y-zeolites, it is 3 or higher. In general, an
increase in the Si/Al acid resistivity results in a corresponding
increase in its thermal stability, hydrophobicity and other
properties as well (Deyá, et al., 2007; Dong et al., 2003; Roselli
et al., 2014; Rassouli et al., 2018).
Although zeolite types are widely applied in different fields,
their preparation processes are still one of the points of many
researches and patents in this field. In addition, the commonly
used raw materials for preparation of zeolites (silica and
alumina gels) seemed to be very expensive (Deyá, et al., 2007).
This work aimed first to prepare three types of zeolites (Na-
X, Na-Y and Na-HS) from kaolin, which is a cheap natural and
abundant ore in Egypt. Then the different zeolites were tested
as partial replacements of zinc phosphate in anticorrosive paint
formulations. The study was performed in presence and
absence of zinc phosphate to stand on their real effect, the
results revealed that Na-Y zeolite was the best among the
different zeolite types.
Experimental
Materials
 Egyptian kaolin is from Kalabsha in Aswan, and its
chemical composition is 45% SiO2, 35% Al2O3, 3.5%
TiO2 and 1.5% Fe2O3, besides traces of other oxides.
Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the zeolites preparation process
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 Sodium hydroxide is obtained from the Laboratory
Rasayan lab (India).
 Commercial sodium silicate has the following formula
(Na2Si2O3) and is obtained from LYQCI Co. LTD (China).
 Alkyd resin is soya-bean dehydrated castor oil resin
composed of 50% linseed oil, 30% O-phthalic anhydride, 4%
pentaerythritol, 4% glycerol and 12% pentaerythritolresinate
and was obtained from El Zain chemicals company, Egypt.
All the used pigments, extenders, resins, solvents and additives
were of normal chemical grades and are products of different
local and international companies.
Methods of preparation
Preheated kaolin at 550°C is used as the source of silica and
alumina; then an additional silicate was used to enrich the Si/
Al ratio. After that, hydrothermal crystallization with NaOH at
70-110°C for 8 hrs was done. The different zeolite types are
prepared using the same method but with different
compositions, i.e. Na-X reaction composition was 6.43Na2O:
Al2O3:5.4SiO2:184.48H2O, while Na-Y reaction composition
was 4.3Na2O:Al2O3:10SiO2:180H2O. And it was 13.0Na2O:
Al2O3:4.82SiO2:181.04H2O for Na-HS zeolite. The
preparation technique of zeolites is represented in Figure 1.
Apparatus and techniques
X-Ray diffraction (XRD)
X-ray powder diffraction patterns were obtained at room
temperature using a Philips diffractometer (Model PW 1390,
Japan), employing Ni-filtered Cu Ka radiation (l = 1.5404 A°).
The diffraction angle (2u ) was scanned at a rate of 2°/min.
Scanning electron microscope
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) Model Philips (JEOL JX
840, Japan) was used to estimate the zeolites particle shapes,
and samples were tested after being coated with gold.
 Performance of cost saving zeolites
Walaa M. Abd El-Gawad et al.
X-Ray fluorescence (XRF)
The different concentrations of each element in the prepared
zeolites were determined using an Axios, sequential WDX- ray
fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer, PANalytical 2005 .
Physical properties of the prepared zeolites
The prepared zeolites were evaluated according to international
standard testing methods for specific gravity (ASTM D5965–02,
2013) and oil absorption (ASTM D 281-12, 2016).
Anti-corrosive paint formulations
Two groups of paint formulations containing six mixes were
prepared, the two groups are based on alkyd resin, the formulations
Figure 2 XRD of zeolites
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have pigment/binder ratio (P/B) = 2.22 and the loading of zeolites
was 50 wt.per cent of the whole solid content of the paints. The
difference between the two groups is that Group I is formulated
without zinc phosphate, while Group II contains zinc phosphate in
its ingredients.
Techniques
Paint preparation and application
First, the steel was cleaned using clean lint-less cloth wet with
mineral spirits, vigorous rubbing of the panel surface was done
until all soluble and loosely adhering soil were removed. Then,
the steel panels were flushed with clean solvent and dried at
temperature of 52-93°C (125-200°F) before use or storage.
 Performance of cost saving zeolites
Walaa M. Abd El-Gawad et al.
To prevent rust, the panels that were not to be immediately
used after preparation were wrapped in paper impregnated with
di-cyclohexyl-ammonium nitrite, or an equivalent volatile
corrosion inhibitor (VCI), and then placed in a plastic bag or
envelope. This preparation was done according to (D609 – 00,
2012; Procedure D: solvent wiping).
The paints were prepared employing ball mill and then they
were applied on cold rolled mild steel panels by means of film
applicator to give a dry paint film thickness of 120 m m.
Methods of testing and evaluation of paints
Physical and mechanical tests
A variety of physical and mechanical evaluations of the paint
films were carried out. Relevant methods of sample evaluations
included the following:
 determination of the paint resistance against impact
(ASTM D6905–03, 2012);
 determination of paint resistance against cupping in
Erichsen apparatus (ASTM D 5638-00); and
 determination of paint hardness (ASTM D4366–16, 2016).
Immersion in salt solution 3.5 per cent
X scribe of 1-mm width was applied to the coatings along the panel
to expose the underlying metal to the aggressive environment.
After 28 days of exposure, the panels were evaluated for
 degree of rusting (ASTM D610-08, 2012);
Figure 3 SEM micrographs of zeolites
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 determining the degree of coating adhesion by means of a
cross-cut test (ASTM D3359-17, 2017);
 degree of blistering on painted steel surfaces according to
(ASTM D714-02, 2009); and
 filiform corrosion resistance test photographic inspection
was done according to (ASTM D2803–09, 2015).
Electrochemical impedance measurements
The corrosion protection performance of coatings was
investigated using EIS (SP-150), which is obtained from
biologic science instruments, France.
Results and discussion
Characterization
X-ray diffraction analysis
The data of X-ray diffraction analysis in Figure 2 shows great
resemblance between the peaks of the prepared zeolites and the
standard ASTM card No. 38-237 of Na-X, 89-1631 of Na-Y
and 11-401of Na-HS zeolites. The main peaks of Na-X, Na-Y
and Na-HS zeolites appeared at dŤ 14.43, 14.19 and 6.30,
respectively, which proves their successful formation. Also, the
sharp peaks reveal their high crystallinity.
Scanning electron microscopy
Figure 3 represents the scanning electron microscopy photos of
Na-X, Na-Y and Na-HS zeolites. The particles of the different
zeolites seemed agglomerated, which proves that they are
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Walaa M. Abd El-Gawad et al. Volume 48 · Number 4 · 2019 · 317–328

prepared from kaolin. It is well known from the literature that sodium aluminate), which are entirely dissolved in sodium
zeolite crystallized from kaolin do not appear as separate hydroxide solution before hydrothermal treatment (Breck,
crystals but in the form of large agglomerates. These 1974; Flanigen et al., 1971; Muart et al., 1992). The different
agglomerates indicate that the formation process is different zeolite types possess different shapes; Na-X zeolite appeared as
from those using synthetic reactants (sodium silicate and a flower, Na-Y zeolite has platelet structure and Na-HS zeolite
appeared as cube. These shapes are expected and are in high
Table I XRF Results of the prepared zeolites agreement with that in the literature.
Main constituents (wt. %) Na-X zeolite Na-Y zeolite Na-HS zeolite X-Ray fluorescence
SiO2 49.24 61.09 42.23 X-ray fluorescence analysis is used to determine the element
TiO2 2.21 2.03 1.89 oxides in the prepared zeolites and the Si/Al ratios. Table I
Al2O3 27.22 19.2 28.02 shows that Na-Y, Na-X and Na-HS zeolites have Si/Al ratio
Fe2O3 2.31 2.1 1.85 3.18, 1.8 and 1.5, respectively. Therefore, it can be deduced
MgO 2.32 1.11 1.24 that Na-Y zeolite has the highest Si/Al ratio as it is well known.
CaO 1.43 0.21 0.92 Physical properties of the prepared zeolites
K2O 0.1 0.2 0.07 Table II representing the physical properties of the prepared
Na2O 6.65 7.4 11.84 zeolites showed that the specific gravity of the prepared zeolites
P2O5 0.06 0.06 0.06 ranges between 0.84-1.4 and can be arranged as follows:
SO3 0.03 0.01 0.21
Na-Y > Na-HS > Na-X zeolites
Cl 0.03 0.03 0.02
Cr2O3 0.055 – 0.033 Also, from the same table, it can be deduced that pH of the
Y2O3 0.009 0.005 0.007 prepared zeolites is alkaline and is almost the same for all types,
Ga2O3 0.006 0.001 0.002 which may be one of the reasons to explain their good corrosion
Nb2O5 0.015 0.018 0.013 protection performance. Oil absorption of Na-Y zeolite
MnO 0.021 0.1 0.129 exhibited the lowest value owing to their platelet shapes, which
NiO – – 0.013 arrange themselves parallel to each other, causing less space
CuO 0.008 0.008 0.008 and smaller voids between them. While Na-X zeolite possesses
ZnO 0.014 0.051 0.01
PbO 0.006 0.009 0.005
Table IV Mechanical properties of paint films containing zeolites
SrO 0.026 0.025 0.02
ZrO2 0.113 0.2 0.093 The prepared Hardness Ductility Impact resistance
CeO2 0.026 0.023 0.02 zeolites (secs.) (mm) (kg.m)
LOI 8.17 6.12 11.3
Group I
Na-X zeolite 64.3 2 0.7
Na-Y zeolite 61.8 3.7 1.34
Table II Physical properties of zeolites Na-HS zeolite 60 5.2 1.7
The prepared zeolites Specific gravity Oil absorption pH
Group II
Na-X zeolite 0.84 46.8 9 Na-X zeolite 67.8 1.3 0.6
Na-Y zeolite 1.023 23.4 9 Na-Y zeolite 63 3 1.1
Na-HS zeolite 1.4 31.2 8.5 Na-HS zeolite 61 4.1 1.52

Table III Paint formulations of zeolites with alkyd resin

Zeolites without zinc phosphate Zeolites with zinc phosphate
(Group I) (Group II)
Ingredients (gm)/ paint numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6
Alkyd binder 31 31 31 31 31 31
Kaolin 12 12 12 10 10 10
TiO2 5 5 5 5 5 5
Fe2O3 12 12 12 6 6 6
Talc 5 5 5 5 5 5
Zinc Phosphate – – – 8 8 8
Na-X zeolite 35 – – 35 – –
Na-Y zeolite – 35 – – 35 –
Hydroxysodalite (Na-HS zeolite) – – 35 – – 35
Total pigment 69 69 69 69 69 69
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100
P/B 2.22 2.22 2.22 2.22 2.22 2.22

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Figure 4 Photos of paint films containing zeolites after 28 days immersion in 3.5% NaCl

Table V Corrosion characteristics of the paint formulations Figure 5 Equivalent electrical circuit used to fit the EIS data of
Group I without Zn phosphate the coatings

Test 1 2 3
Degree of blistering 10 10 10
Degree of rusting 5-S, 3% 10 6-S, 1%
Adhesion Gt2 Gt4 Gt3
Group II with Zn phosphate
Test 4 5 6
Degree of blistering 10 10 10
Degree of rusting 10 10 10
Adhesion Gt2 Gt4 Gt4 The oil absorption of the prepared zeolites can be ordered
as:
Notes: Adhesion can be ordered in descending order as follows; Gt0 > Gt1 >
Gt2 > Gt3 > Gt4; Blister density = 10 (i.e. no blisters were observed on the Na-Y > Na-HS > Na-X zeolites
paint films); degree of rusting = 10 (i.e. no corrosion was observed on the steel
films under paint, in the table, degree of rusting is S means spot rusting From these results it can be concluded that Na-Y zeolite is the
best in its physical properties; it exhibits the lowest oil
the highest oil absorption owing to its flower shapes that have absorption value and has moderate specific gravity value, i.e.
large spaces between, more oil is needed to block these spaces less binder is needed to form homogenous film and more shelf-
and form the paste. life can be obtained (i.e. it keeps its consistency on storage).

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Walaa M. Abd El-Gawad et al.
Mechanical properties
The paint formulations are represented in Table III and the
physico–mechanical properties of the two groups containing
zeolites are illustrated in Table IV. It can be seen that the
hardness of Group II is better than that of Group I owing to the
presence of zinc phosphate with its platelet structure, which can
arrange themselves in a compact form to offer more
homogenous film that can enhance adhesion, elasticity and
Figure 6 Nyquist plots of paint formulations containing (a) Na-X, (B) Na-Y (C) Na-HS zeolites in 3.5% NaCl for 28 days of group I
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reinforce the polymeric matrix of the paint film (Vesely et al.,
2012). The impact resistance and ductility of the paint films in
Group II were lower than those in Group I.
The corrosion results of paint films after immersion in 3.5 per cent NaCl
The corrosion consequences of paint films containing zeolites
after 28 days immersion in 3.5 per cent NaCl are shown in
Figure 4 and Table V.
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Although the pH of zeolites is alkaline, there was no appearance
of blisters on the film surfaces. According to the cross-cut
adhesion test (ASTM D3359-17, 2017), the adhesion of films
containing different zeolites to the steel substrate was low, but
this does not affect the corrosion protection behavior of zeolites.
In case of Group I, which is free of zinc phosphate, the
protection performance of paint film containing Na-Y zeolite
was the best, followed by those containing Na-HS zeolite then
Na-X zeolite. This may be because Na-Y zeolite can increase
the barrier effect because of its platelet structure, which
protects the substrate surface by prolonging the diffusion path
of the corrosive materials that penetrate the film from its surface
to the base. Also, Na-X zeolite, which possesses the flower
shape and Na-HS zeolite with its cube shape, cause large spaces
between the particles, making it easier for corrosive materials to
reach the substrates.
Furthermore, zeolites can decline the chain mobility and
increase water pathway while trapping oxygen molecules in the
pores of its structure, thus decreasing its permeability, which
leads to more protection (Zawadzki, 2006).
In case of Group II, which contains zinc phosphate, the
corrosion protection behavior of paint film containing the three
different types of zeolite was high (i.e. no corrosion was
detected). The presence of zinc phosphate in the formulations
supports and improves the protection performance. The
interference between the plates of zinc phosphate with the
flowers of Na-X zeolite or cubes of Na-HS zeolite improves
their performance because these plates block the voids between
the zeolite cube and flower structures by ordering themselves in
these voids. Therefore, more close-packed film is formed,
which can prevent the diffusion of the corrosive materials to the
substrate (Ahmed et al., 2014; Deflorian et al., 2002). Also, the

Table VI EIS Data of the paint formulations containing zeolites

Sample Rs Rct Cdl
Group I
1. Paint film containing Na-X zeolite
3
1 day 34.19 354.2 0.8571 x 10
3
7 days 37.31 1268 0.7128 x 10
3
14 days 50.56 1965 0.4065 x 10
4
21 days 31.02 1036 0.8214 x 10
28 days 31 755.7 17.13 x 10 6
2. Paint film containing Na-Y zeolite
3
1 day 38.05 567.1 0.5786 x 10
3
7 days 106.9 2275 0.4045 x 10
3
14 days 130 2824 0.3261 x 10
3
21 days 165.09 2834 0.3024 x 10
28 days 168 3313 13.74 x 10 6
3. Paint film containing Na-HS zeolite
3
1 day 28.04 1326 1.2030 x 10
3
7 days 32 1503 0.8351 x 10
3
14 days 30.02 1339 0.7103 x 10
3
21 days 26.1 920.03 0.6971 x 10
28 days 26 567.1 13.74 x 10 6
Group II
4. Paint film containing Na-X zeolite
3
1 day 31.05 462.7 0.5721 x 10
3
7 days 35 1137 0.5280 x 10
3
14 days 62.5 1662 0.3141 x 10
3
21 days 107 2055 0.2095 x 10
28 days 132 3356 15.89 x 10 6
5. Paint film containing Na-Y zeolite
1 day 19.15 1870 0.9004 x 10 3
7 days 23.98 2970 0.5691 x 10 3
14 days 31.69 5810 0.3174 x 10 3
21 days 34.55 5966 0.114 x 10 3
28 days 139 7579 1.1032 x 10 4
6. Paint film containing Na-HS zeolite
1 day 64.92 1736 0.772 x 10 3
7 days 74.08 1942 0.671 x 10 3
14 days 80.90 3111 0.5469 x 10 3
21 days 82.93 3714 0.3297 x 10 3
28 days 94 3760 0.1902 x 10 3

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presence of zinc phosphate plates combined with Na-Y zeolite Zinc phosphate itself can protect the substrate surface by
plates exhibited stronger built film. These results revealed that reacting with the fatty acids in the alkyd resin forming soaps, which
there is a synergism between zinc phosphate and the three types attributes to the corrosion protection by passivating the metal
of the prepared zeolites. through the alkaline environment which is created in the coat.

Figure 7 Nyquist plots of paint formulations containing (a) Na-X, (B) Na-Y (C) Na-HS zeolites in 3.5% NaCl for 28 days of group II

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These previous results were confirmed using EIS measurements in
3.5 per cent NaCl. The impedance spectra for different Nyquist
plots were analyzed by fitting the experimental data to a simple
Randle circuit mode [Rs1Cdl/Rct)] as shown in Figure 5. The
equivalent circuit represents the corrosion process on the bare
surface and it consists of the electrolyte resistance (Rs) in series
with both double layer capacitance (Cdl) and charge transfer
resistance (Rct), which are in parallel with each other.
Figure 6 shows the Nyquist impedance plots evolution of group
I films after 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days in 3.5 per cent NaCl and
the kinetics data of their corrosion protection behaviors, which
are given in Table VI.
Figures 6(a) and 6(b) represent the behavior of Na-X and
Na-HS zeolites, respectively. At the beginning of the test, the
values of charge transfer resistance increased with the increase
of immersion time. Then, after 17 days of immersion, the value
of charge transfer resistance decreased and remained stable till
the end of the immersion duration (28 days) of immersion.
This variation can reflect the penetration process of water
through the coated films that proceed as follow; before the
21 days, water did not reach the metal/coating interface;
therefore, there was no appearance of corrosion under
the coated films and the value of charge transference resistance
increased with increasing the immersion time. Then, in the
interval between 21 and 28 days, corrosive ions and water
reached the metal/coating interface and the underneath
corrosion begins.
This explanation is in agreement with the diffusion processes
of water through coatings, which can be divided into two
stages: the initial and saturation stages.
In the initial stage, charge transfer resistance increased with
immersion time and then decreased by increasing the diffusion
of corrosive materials, reaching the saturation stage kept the
charge transfer resistance stable. In case of Na-Y zeolite, which

Figure 8 Schematic diagram showing the different corrosion protection mechanisms of zeolites

Plates of Zn
phosphate

Delaying the passage of Delaying the passage of

the corrosive materials
the corrosive materials

Flowers ofNa-
X zeolite

Substrate In presence of zincphosphate

In absence of zinc phosphate

Delaying the passage of the Postponing the passage of

corrosive materials the corrosive materials

Cubes of

Na-HS zeolite

In absence of zinc phosphate Inpresence

In presenceofof zinc
zinc phosphate

Delaying the passage of

Prohibing the passage
the corrosive materials
of the corrosive materials

Plates of

Na-Y zeolite

In absence of zinc phosphate 8

In presence of zincphosphate

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 Performance of cost saving zeolites
Walaa M. Abd El-Gawad et al.
is represented in Figure 6(c), the values of charge transfer
resistance increased with increasing the immersion time, and
there was no decrease in the impedance module values, which
may be owing to the higher Si/Al ratio of Na-Y zeolite than
other zeolite types. This consequently increased the protection
performance via the formation of a protective layer on the metal
substrate, i.e. passivate its surface. Also as Si/Al increases,
hydrophobicity increases and reduces the diffusion of water and
corrosive materials at the metal/coating interface (Ahmed et al.,
2017; Dias et al., 2012; Heydarpour et al., 2014; Rassouli et al.,
2017).
Figure 7 shows the Nyquist impedance plots evolution of
Group II after 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days in 3.5 per cent NaCl,
and the kinetics data of their corrosion performance are
indicated in Table VI. It was clear that the charge transfer
resistance and the impedance module increased with
increasing the immersion time owing to many reasons; the
transference of water and corrosive ions to the metal/coating
interface and the hydrolysis of zinc phosphate, which leads to
the release of inhibitors that suppresses the corrosion process
by forming phosphate passive layer. Also Zn21 ion can reach
the anodic sites on the metal surface, causing significant
decrease in the oxidation reaction rate of metal, reducing the
numbers of active sites available for electrochemical
reaction. The higher impedance module value of coatings of
Group II containing both zinc phosphate and zeolite proves
the excellent protective behavior of these materials (Rassouli
et al., 2018).
Finally, it can be deduced that the general trend of corrosion
protection of the prepared zeolites in presence and absence of
zinc phosphate can be arranged as:
Na-Y > Na-HS > Na-X zeolites
Generally, it can be estimated from the above that zeolite can
offer high performance in protecting steel, which renders them
suitable as partial replacement for zinc phosphate, thus,
offering paints with cheaper price and better corrosive
prevention performance, besides being eco-friendly.
A schematic diagram showing the corrosion protection
mechanisms of the different types of zeolites are presented in
Figure 8.
Conclusions
Three different types of zeolites (Na-X, Na-Y and Na-HS)
were prepared from kaolin, which is a cheap ore. The three
zeolite types were incorporated in paints based on medium oil
alkyd to state their role as partial replacement for zinc
phosphate. The mechanical tests showed that almost all the
paint formulations containing the prepared zeolites exhibited
good physico–mechanical properties. Also, the corrosion tests
clarified that all the paint formulations offered excellent
corrosion protection properties, but in presence of zinc
phosphate, the performance was better. Therefore, zinc
phosphate pigments can be partially replaced by zeolites, and
the corrosion protection of the prepared zeolites can be
arranged as:
Na-Y > Na-HS > Na-X zeolites
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Corresponding author
Nivin M. Ahmed can be contacted at: niviahmed@yahoo.
com