Recyclable and Self-Repairable Epoxy Anticorrosion Coatings with Curing-Controlled Thermoplasticity

Affordable self-repairing coatings with robust interfacial adhesion are of great interest in anticorrosion applications. Epoxy (EP) coating is the most widely used commercial anticorrosion coating but suffers from failure once damaged because it cannot be repaired facilely as a thermosetting material. Herein, we develop a thermoreversible epoxy by regulating the curing program within a partial curing window of a commercial epoxy–anhydride system. The as-prepared coatings experience a reversible solid–liquid transition during the heating–cooling cycle. The curing windows for thermoplastic and thermosetting epoxy are investigated as well as the underlying curing mechanism. The photothermal coatings were fabricated by embedding carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) within the epoxy coating, enabling in situ repairing by the near-infrared laser irradiation. Such coatings show moderate surface adhesion to metal surfaces, impressive recycling and repairing abilities, and competitive corrosion resistance.