Accepted Manuscript

Self-healing polymer coating with the microfibers of

superabsorbent polymers provides corrosion inhibition in carbon
steel

Akihiro Yabuki, Shota Tanabe, Indra Wahyudhin Fathona

PII: S0257-8972(17)30827-7
DOI: doi: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2017.08.030
Reference: SCT 22591
To appear in: Surface & Coatings Technology
Received date: 27 May 2017
Revised date: 2 August 2017
Accepted date: 11 August 2017

Please cite this article as: Akihiro Yabuki, Shota Tanabe, Indra Wahyudhin Fathona ,
Self-healing polymer coating with the microfibers of superabsorbent polymers provides
corrosion inhibition in carbon steel, Surface & Coatings Technology (2017), doi: 10.1016/
j.surfcoat.2017.08.030

This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As
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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
Self-healing polymer coating with the microfibers of superabsorbent polymers provides

corrosion inhibition in carbon steel

Akihiro Yabuki,a* Shota Tanabe,a and Indra Wahyudhin Fathonab

a
Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University

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1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8527 Japan

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b
Engineering Physics Department, Electrical Engineering Faculty, Telkom University

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Terusan Telekomunikasi, Dayeuh Kolot, Bandung (city), 40257, Indonesia
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*Corresponding author. Tel/fax: +81 82 424 7852
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E-mail addresses: ayabuki@hiroshima-u.ac.jp (A. Yabuki)

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Abstract
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In the present study, multi-layer polymer coatings composed of the microfibers of a

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superabsorbent polymer (SAP) were applied to carbon steel to promote corrosion inhibition.

The SAP microfibers were fabricated by mixing SAP powder with water, which created a film
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that could then be coated onto a glass plate where it was allowed to dry and was then cut with
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a knife-edge using a 3-axis desktop robot. Water/polymer ratios between 20 and 60 produced

SAP microfibers 30 to 50 m in diameter. The prepared SAP microfibers were mixed with

vinyl-ester polymer (VEP), and were then coated onto a substrate. Specimens were scratched

with a knife-edge, and then polarization resistance in a 0.5 wt% NaCl solution was measured.

A coating with VEP as the base and top layers and 5 wt% SAP microfibers as the middle

layer showed polarization resistance that increased with testing time and demonstrated self-

healing corrosion inhibition. A thin corrosion protective film formed on the scratched surface

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of the specimen coated with SAP microfibers. Measurement of the polarization curves at

various testing times confirmed that the SAP film had corrosion protective qualities that

prevented cathodic and anodic reactions. Fiberization of the SAP resulted in large releases of

SAP from the coating that continued for an extended period of time.

Keywords: Self-healing; Polymer coating; Carbon steel; Corrosion; Fiber; Superabsorbent

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polymer

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1. Introduction

In the early development of polymer coating, it was used primarily for decorative and

identification purposes, but then it was applied widely in industry for coating buried structures,

gas and oil pipelines, offshore structures, etc. [1–7]. In principle, applying polymer coatings

impedes the flow of corrosive agents to a metal surface, which prevents corrosion. The

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resistivity of the barrier properties of a polymer coating in a corrosive environment can be

further increased by adding corrosion inhibitor to the polymer coating [8–13]. In the absence

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of a polymer coating system, the management of damage is relegated to steps such as local

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removal of the damaged site, which often is a time-consuming process.

Recent designs that incorporate the ability to protect the underlying metal even when the
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coating system is damaged are referred to as smart coatings. This concept includes self-
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healing polymer coatings that repair damaged sites both autonomously and non-

autonomously, which allows long-term protection of the underlying substrate. The healing
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performance is dependent on the materials and on the design of a self-healing system, and
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includes the design of corrosion inhibitor storage containers within the polymer coating.
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Proposed container systems for corrosion inhibitor in the designs for self-healing polymer

coatings have included fiber networks, microvascular networks, porous structures,

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micro/nanocapsules, and nanoparticles [14–28]. Nanofiber networks have been investigated in

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the development of bio-mimicking network structures in self-healing coatings, and the ability

to accommodate a large quantity of healing substances has attracted intense attention from

many research groups [14–21]. The abundance and environmental friendliness of Bio-

degradable polymers such as cellulose fibers have found potential applications in bio-

mimicking network structures [16,17].

SAPs have the ability to swell via the absorption of water, which creates a potential

application for self-healing anti-corrosion. SAPs are now used extensively for water

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absorbance applications such as baby diapers [29,30] and in the self-healing of cracks in

cementitious materials [31–33]. These polymers have also been applied in agriculture to retain

moisture in the soil [34], in the construction of buildings to protect against water drainage

[35], in the treatment of sewage [36], and in drug-delivery systems [37]. However, the use of

SAPs for anti-corrosion has rarely been studied, and as a part of a coating, these polymers

could be used to fill defects, and have been used in multi-layers coating to prevent the

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corrosion of carbon steel [38]. The optimal concentration of a SAP for self-healing capability

has been 5 to 10 wt%. The films consist of spherical particles, which appear to migrate to the

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scratched surface of a substrate. The film might prevent the diffusion of oxygen from a bulk

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solution to the scratched surface of a substrate. We theorized that a network of SAPs could

enhance self-healing qualities and further promote corrosion inhibition.

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The present study elucidated the self-healing performance of a polymer coating composed
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of SAP microfibers. A multi-layer polymer coating composed of SAP microfibers was applied

to carbon steel to prevent corrosion. A knife was used to scratch the coating, and then the
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electrochemical impedance of the scratched coating was measured in a corrosive solution to

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evaluate the self-healing properties of the coating. The surface of the scratched coating was
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observed via SEM. As it was released from the coating, the SAP's behavior was observed in

order to document the self-healing process.

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2. Experimental

2.1. Preparation of SAP microfibers

SAP powdered particles (AQUALIC CS-7S, Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.) with a mean

diameter of 15 m were selected for the fabrication of microfibers, because the projected

thickness of the coating was 30-50 m. The SAP was a modified cross-linked polyacrylate

with welling capacities of 40, 18, and 15 g/g in 0.5, 5, and 25 wt% NaCl solutions,

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respectively, which served as the corrosive agents [38]. SAP microfibers were fabricated into

a polymer film, which was then cut with the edge of a knife (Fig. 1) using a 3-axis desktop

robot (SHOT mini SL, Musashi Engineering Co., Ltd.), as follows. (1) SAP powder was

mixed with water in a deionized state to prepare a polymer solution. The ratio of water to SAP

(water/SAP ratio) was set at 20 to 80. (2) The polymer solution was coated onto a glass plate

using a bar coater. (3) The polymer film was dried at 80 ºC for 10 min. (4) The dried film was

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cut with a knife. A computer program was used to cut the polymer film to a width of 50 m in

the x direction and to a length of 70 mm in the y direction. (5) After cutting, SAP microfibers

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were obtained by drying the film strips at 80 ºC for 10 min.

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The fabricated SAP microfibers were observed using a digital microscope with a resolution
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of 2.11 MP (VH-8000, Keyence Corporation) and a high-range zoom lens with magnification

that ranged from 450 to 3000× (VH-Z450, Keyence Corporation). The diameters of 100 SAP
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microfibers were measured at 2 positions using the ruler function of image processing

software during the observation to obtain the diameter distribution.

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2.2. Preparation for coating

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A plate of carbon steel (C < 0.15 wt%, Mn < 0.60 wt%, P < 0.10 wt%, S < 0.05 wt%, JIS
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G 3141, SPCC-SD, Nippon Testpanel Co., Ltd.) with a thickness of 0.8 mm was used as the

substrate. This was cut to a specimen size of 12 x 12 mm. The cut substrate was degreased in
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an alkaline solution rinse (Surf Cleaner 53 NF, Nippon Paint Co., Ltd.), and then rinsed with

deionized water and allowed to dry. A vinyl ester polymer (VEP, Ripoxy RT-833DA, Showa

Highpolymer Co., Ltd.) was applied via spin-coating to serve as the base layer. The polymer

was cured by the addition of hardening agents, which involved the use of 2 wt% methyl ethyl

ketone peroxide as an initiator (radical source) and 0.5 wt% cobalt naphthenate as a catalyst.

To prepare the middle layer of the coating, SAP microfibers were prepared at concentrations

of 0 to 15 wt%, mixed into VEPs, and then coated via a bar-coater. Plain VEPs were
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spin-coated to serve as the top layer. These multi-layer polymer coatings were cured at 80 ºC

for 2 h. For comparison, 5 wt% VEP-mixed SAP particles and plain VEPs were applied as the

middle layers of the coating. Three types of coatings and thicknesses were used for the

corrosion tests, as follows.

(1) SAP-fiber coating: base layer of plain VEP, middle layer of VEP mixed with SAP

microfibers, and a top layer of plain VEP. The thicknesses of the layers were 35, 50 and 35

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m, respectively.

(2) SAP coating: base layer of plain VEP, middle layer of mixed VEP and SAP particles, and

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a top layer of plain VEP. The thicknesses of the layers were 35, 30 and 35 m, respectively.

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(3) VEP coating: three layers of plain VEP. The thicknesses of the coatings were 35, 30 and
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35 m, respectively.
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2.3. Evaluating the self-healing properties of the coatings

The prepared coatings were scratched using a scratch tester knife (IMC-1552, Imoto
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Machinery Co. Ltd.) with an 800 g load and a length of approximately 4 mm. The scratching
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load was intended to sufficiently expose the carbon steel substrate. The width of the substrate
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surface was 20 to 25 m, as shown in Fig. 9. The scratched specimens were connected with a
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conductive wire and mounted in a polyvinyl chloride holder. The exposed area of the coating

was 6 mm in diameter. The specimens were immersed in a 0.5 wt% NaCl corrosive solution
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at 35 ºC. The solution was saturated with air before the test. The self-healing corrosion

inhibition properties of each coating were evaluated by the corrosion behavior of the

substrate.

The electrochemical impedance of the scratched substrate for each form of coating in the

corrosive solution was measured for 24 h using a platinum plate as a counter electrode and a

reference Ag/AgCl electrode. These were connected to a potensiostat/galvanostat

(HABF-5001, Hokuto Denko Co.), a frequency-response analyzer (5010A, NF Co.), and a

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personal computer. The open circuit potential was measured, and then sine wave voltages of

10 mV rms at frequencies from 20 kHz to 10 mHz were superimposed at the potential. Data

acquisition was controlled via software using a General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB). The

measured electrochemical impedance data were normalized to the surface area of each scratch.

Optical micrographs (VH-8000, Keyence Co.) were used to calculate the depth and length of

each substrate exposed to a scratch. The difference in impedance at low and high frequencies

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was based on the polarization resistance of the scratched coating.

The substrate surface of each scratched coating was observed before and after the

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corrosion test via FE-SEM (JSM-6340F).

2.4. Polarization measurement

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The polarization curves of the scratched SAP and SAP-fiber coatings were measured in a
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0.5 wt% NaCl corrosive solution using the same system as that used for the electrochemical

impedance measurement. After the corrosion potential of the scratched coating in the test
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solution became nearly constant, both cathodic and anodic polarization curves were measured
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from the corrosion potential at a sweep rate of 20 mV/min. The range of measured potential
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was -1.0 to 0 V. The data were loaded into a personal computer via a GPIB.
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2.5. Observation of the release of SAP

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The release of SAP from an SAP-fiber coating was observed via the use of a red dye

solution. An adhesive agent (Vylonal MD-1480, Toyobo Co., Ltd.) was coated onto a glass

plate, which was then dried at 80 ºC for 2 h. Then, a 5 wt% mix of VEP and SAP fibers was

coated onto it using a bar-coater, following by drying at 80 ºC for 2 h. As a top layer, VEP

was applied using a spin-coater with drying at 80 ºC for 2 h. A scratch load of 800 g was

generated at the center portion of the coating. Then, 600 L of a red dye solution (Kayacryl

Red GRL-ED, Shinko Corporation) was dropped onto the center of the scratched portion of
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each coating. After 24 h, the dye that remained on the surface of the coating was wiped off,

and then the distance from the scratch to the portion where the color had changed was noted.

Furthermore, the scratched coating that contained the inserted dye was immersed into a 0.5

wt% NaCl solution. The edge of an SAP microfiber was observed in the scratched portion of

the coating at various times using an optical microscope (SH130PC-2, Shodensha, Inc.).

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3. Results and discussion

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3.1. Preparation of SAP microfibers

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SEM images of the SAP powder and SAP microfibers prepared at various water/SAP

ratios are shown in Fig. 2. The SAP powder appears in Fig. 2a. The particles were 5 to 50 µm
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in size, and some were agglomerated. SAP microfibers were successfully fabricated using the
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cutting method for water/SAP ratios between 20 and 60 (Fig. 2bc). Microfibers were

fabricated via connection of the powders, which resulted in a relatively smooth surface. As
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the water/SAP ratio approached 80, however, the product seemed to chip, and the lengths
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were significantly shorter (Fig. 2d). Excess addition of water caused a failure in the
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production of fibers due to poor connection of the powders. An example of the distribution of

the diameters of SAP microfibers prepared at a water/SAP ratio of 60 is shown in Fig. 3. The
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diameter sizes ranged from 15 to 50 m, which is narrower than the cutting width of 50 m.
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This was caused by the shrinkage due to the evaporation of water from wet SAP microfibers.

The diameter averages and standard deviations for SAP microfibers obtained at various

water/SAP ratios are shown in Fig. 4. As the water/SAP ratio increased, the average diameter

decreased as larger amounts of water evaporated from the wet SAP microfibers. The

diameters of microfibers prepared at a water/SAP ratio of 20 were almost the same as the

cutting width, although the fibers had dried. This showed no shrinkage by water evaporation

from inside the SAP microfibers. On the other hand, no microfibers were fabricated at a

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water/SAP ratio of 80, because the SAP powders in the wet film would have only partially

connected due to a level of water that was beyond the limits of water absorbency. The

standard deviation of each SAP microfiber was almost the same. This was due to fluctuations

in the knife edge during cutting by the 3-axis desktop robot. As a result, the SAP microfibers

cut from wet film with a water/SAP ratio of 60 were continuous with small diameters, which

made them well suited for use in polymer coatings.

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3.2. Polarization resistance to scratches by various types of coating

Typical electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results of scratched SAP-fiber coating

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for various immersion times are shown in the Nyquist plots in Fig. 5. The plots for the
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scratched coatings are almost semi-circular, which is similar to the results found in a previous

report [38]. For the scratched coatings, the difference in impedance at high and low
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frequencies, i.e., the diameter of the depressed semicircle, corresponded to the polarization

resistance of the scratched coating, and each scratched coating showed similar behavior. The
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solution resistance was indicated by impedance at high frequency. After 8 h of immersion

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(Fig. 5b), the impedence was lower than that after 1 h (Fig. 5a). This was caused by the
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dissolution of Fe ions into the scratched space.

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The polarization resistance values for the three types of scratched coatings are shown in

Fig. 6. The concentrations of SAP in the middle layer of the SAP-fiber coating and in the SAP
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coating were each 5 wt%. Although the polarization resistance of the scratched VEP coating

increased, it began to decrease after 1 h and was almost constant after 10 h. The trend in the

polarization resistance of the scratched SAP coating was very similar to that of the scratched

VEP coating, but it was approximately 3 times higher than that of the VEP coating after

immersion for 24 h. This was the effect of the SAP that constituted the middle layer. On the

other hand, the polarization resistance of the scratched SAP-fiber coating differed greatly

from that of both the SAP and VEP coatings. The initial resistance of the scratched SAP-fiber

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coating was almost the same as that of the scratched SAP coating, with a slight increase after

1 h of immersion. The comparison remained almost constant up to 10 h, and then it gradually

increased with time. Ultimately, the scratched SAP-fiber coating demonstrated a polarization

resistance that was approximately 4 times greater than that of the scratched SAP coating. The

difference between the SAP-fiber coating and the SAP coating was related to differences in

the release process. This confirmed the long-term self-healing qualities of a SAP-fiber coating.

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The polarization resistance values of scratched SAP-fiber coatings with middle layers made

up of various concentrations of SAP microfibers are shown in Fig. 7. At a SAP concentration

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of 1 wt%, the polarization resistance gradually increased. As the concentration was increased

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to 5 wt%, the polarization resistance remained steady, but had increased after 10 h. As the

concentration was further increased to 10 wt%, polarization resistance was increased for up to
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10 h, after which it decreased to a low level. Fig. 8 shows the polarization resistance of
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scratched SAP-fiber coatings with a middle layer made up of 0 to 15 wt% of SAP microfibers

after a 24 h corrosion test. The polarization resistance increased with increases in the
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concentration of SAP microfibers, and it was maximal at a concentration at 5 wt%. A further

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increase in the concentration of SAP microfibers was accomplished by decreasing the

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resistance. The measurement was conducted more than 5 times, which confirmed the

reproducibility, as shown in the error bar in Fig. 8. These results showed that the self-healing
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process of the SAP-fiber coating proceeded through 2 stages, before and after 10 h of
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immersion.

3.3. The film that forms on the scratched portion

In order to establish the condition of the scratched portion during stages 1 and 2, the

scratched coating was observed and polarization curves were measured. SEM images of the

scratched SAP-fiber coating of the substrate before and after 24 h of corrosion testing are

shown in Figs. 9a and b, respectively. For comparison, an SEM image of the scratched SAP

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coating after the corrosion test is shown in Fig. 9c. The surface of the scratched substrate

appears in the vertical direction in the central region of the figure. Scratched lines were

apparent on the surface of the scratched substrate before the test (Fig. 9a). Small bumps

appeared on the scratch lines of the scratched substrate with a SAP-fiber coating (Fig. 9b). On

the other hand, large bumps were observed on the scratched substrate with a SAP coating, but

there were no scratch lines (Fig. 9c). Products such as SAP particles were not recognized,

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although many SAP particles were reported after 6 h of corrosion testing in previous research

[38]. These results suggested that a thin corrosion protective film had been generated on the

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scratched substrate after 24 h of immersion, because the polarization resistance of the coating

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on the scratched SAP-fiber substrate was higher than that just after immersion.

The polarization curves taken at various immersion times of the scratched substrate with a
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SAP-fiber coating appear in Fig. 10. The polarization curves at 300 s and 8 h correspond to
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stage 1 and the polarization curve at 24 h corresponds to stage 2, as indicated in Fig. 7. For

comparison, a polarization curve of the scratched SAP-coated substrate is shown after 24 h of

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immersion. Compared with the curves at 300 s, 8 h, and 24 h, the anodic current density was
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decreased with increases in time. This indicated that a corrosion protective film had been
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generated, which agreed with the results from SEM, as shown in Fig. 9. On the other hand,

the cathodic current density of the scratched substrate with a SAP-fiber coating was decreased
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as time increased from 300 s to 8 h, but the trend was reversed after 24 h. Compared with the
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cathodic curve of the SAP coating after 24 h of immersion, the curve for the SAP-fiber

coating was lower, which meant that SAP remained on the substrate although SAP particles

were not observed (Fig. 9b). Swollen SAP prevented the diffusion of dissolved oxygen, which

prevented a cathodic reaction, as previously reported [38]. Based on these results, swollen

SAP remained on the substrate with a scratched SAP-fiber coating and prevented a cathodic

reaction in stage 1, and as the swelling of the SAP gradually dissipated, SAP remained during

stage 2.

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3.4. Release of SAP from a SAP-fiber coating

The release of SAP from the SAP-fiber coating was largely responsible for the self-healing

process. In order to elucidate the polarization resistance apparent from surface observation

and the polarization curves, the amount and rate of the release of SAP from the SAP-fiber

coating was investigated.

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The released amount of SAP was based on the amount of solution penetration into the

SAP-fiber coating. The surface appearance of various scratched coatings, 24 h after the

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application of a dye solution, appears in Fig. 11. The concentrations of SAP in SAP-fiber and

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SAP coatings were equal at 5 wt%. The straight line in each figure indicates the scratch.

Solution penetration was clearly recognized for the SAP-fiber coating (Fig. 11a). The depth of
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solution penetration ranged from 1 to 2 mm. Solution penetration into the SAP coating was
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observed as two circles on the upper side of the coating (Fig. 11b), but these were small

compared with that confirmed in the SAP-fiber coating, although the SAP concentration was
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the same. No solution penetration was observed with the VEP coating (Fig. 11c). Thus, the
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large release from the SAP-fiber coating was confirmed.

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The release rate of the dye solution that penetrated the SAP-fiber coating was detected by

measuring the condition of the dye on the scratched portion. The surface appearance of the
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dye solution in the scratched coating was examined at 10 s, 300 s, and 1 h after the application
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of a corrosive solution, as shown in Fig. 12. The right side of each figure shows the corrosive

solution. The band with small red points in the horizontal direction is a SAP fiber. The

vertical line is the scratched edge. The width of the band of the SAP fiber was larger than the

diameter of the prepared SAP microfibers, which was caused by swelling of the SAP

following the absorption of water. Dye released from the SAP fiber showed that SAP moved

into the solution with increases in time. The relationship between the release distance of the

dye and time from a SAP microfiber in the coating into the solution is shown in Fig. 13. The

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measurements were conducted more than 5 times, which confirmed the reproducibility. The

release distance was increased with increases in time. The release curve in the figure was

calculated using a theoretical equation for capillary penetration that was established by Lucas-

Washburn, as shown by Eq. (1) below [39–41].

d cos 
l t (1)
4

where l is the penetration distance, d is the capillary diameter,  is the surface tension,  is the

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contact angle,  is the viscosity of the solution, and t is time. This assumes that constants r, ,

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, , and l can be expressed as a function of t. Consequently, the penetration distance, l, can

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be solved using Eq. (2) by fitting the measured time.

l  4.9 t
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(2)

The release distance obtained from the equation agreed with the experimental data. Using
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equation (2), the time to reach 1-2 mm was calculated as 12-47 h. The order of time agreed

with the results from immersion testing.

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A self-healing process for the SAP-fiber coating is proposed in Fig. 14. SAP was released
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from the scratched SAP coating just after immersion via the swelling of the SAP, and it
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covered the portion of the substrate that had been exposed by the scratch. This prevented the
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diffusion of dissolved oxygen, which prevented a cathodic reaction. The carbon steel of the

substrate was dissolved by anodic reaction, and Fe ions were concentrated in the scratched
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space by the release of SAP, as explained in Fig. 5. A corrosion protective film was generated

under the SAP in stage 1. After that, the swollen SAP gradually dissipated, but a small portion

of SAP continued to emerge from the inner portion of the SAP microfibers, which further

extended the corrosion protection of the film during stage 2. Thus, fiberization of the SAP

brought about a large release of SAP, and an extended release of SAP from the coating.

4. Conclusions

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Microfibers of SAP were successfully fabricated when polymer powder mixed with water

had formed a film that was then was cut into strips using a 3-axis desktop robot. Water-to-

polymer ratios of 20 to 60 produced SAP microfibers with diameters of approximately 30 to

50 m. The obtained SAP microfibers were mixed with VEP, which produced a multi-layer

polymer coating for carbon steel. The self-healing properties of scratched coatings were

evaluated by measuring the polarization resistance in a 0.5 wt% NaCl corrosive solution. The

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polarization resistance of the VEP coating mixed with 5 wt% SAP microfibers, increased with

time, and resulted in an improvement in the self-healing corrosion inhibition capability of the

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coatings. The self-healing process of the SAP-fiber coating was as follows. The scratched

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SAP coating elicited a release of SAP in stage 1, a small amount of SAP was supplied from

the inner portion of the SAP microfibers, and the corrosion protective film was then extended
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during stage 2. The role of SAP microfibers in the coating involved a large initial release of
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SAP followed by an extended release of SAP. The release of SAP from the scratched coating

resulted in the growth of corrosion protective film.

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Figure captions

Fig. 1. Set-up of 3-axis desktop robot with a knife-edge, controller, and computer.

Fig. 2. SEM images of SAP powder (a), and SAP microfibers fabricated at various water-SAP

ratios via a cutting method; the ratios are 30 (b), 60 (c), and 80 (d).

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Fig. 3. Frequency of the diameter of SAP microfibers fabricated at a water-SAP ratio of 60.

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Fig. 4. Average diameter of SAP microfibers fabricated at various water/SAP ratios.
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Fig. 5. Nyquist plots of a scratched substrate with a SAP-fiber coating after 1 h of immersion
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(a) and 8 h of immersion (b).

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Fig. 6. Polarization resistance of scratched substrates with various forms of coating. The
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concentrations of SAP in the middle layers of a SAP-fiber coating and a SAP coating were 5
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wt%.
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Fig. 7. Polarization resistance of a substrate with SAP-fiber coating with various

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concentrations of SAP microfibers in the middle layer of each coating.

Fig. 8. The relationship between the polarization resistance of a substrate with SAP-fiber

coating after a 24 h corrosion test and the concentrations of SAP microfibers in the middle

layer of each coating.

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Fig. 9. SEM images of substrates with scratched coatings; SAP-fiber coating before (a) and

after the test (b), and SAP coating after the test (c).

Fig. 10. Polarization curves of a substrate with scratched SAP-fiber coating at various

immersion times and scratched SAP coating after a 24 h immersion.

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Fig. 11. Surface appearances of the penetration conditions of dye from the scratched portion

of a SAP-fiber coating (a), SAP coating (b), and VEP coating (c).

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Fig. 12. The distance of released dye from a SAP microfiber coating at various times: 10 s (a),

300 s (b), and 1 h (c).

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Fig. 13. The relationship between the release distance and time of dye from a SAP microfiber

in a coating. The circles are experimental data and the curve is fitted using a theoretical
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equation.
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Fig. 14. A schematic representation of the self-healing effect of the SAP-fiber coating.
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Graphical abstract

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Highlights

► Microfibers of superabsorbent polymer were fabricated via a cutting method.

► Polymer coating with microfibers demonstrated high polarization resistance.

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► Corrosion protective film formed on the coated substrates that were scratched.

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► Coating composed of microfibers provided extended release times.

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