Woolen-like Ti3C2Tx@ATP heterogeneous nanocomposite for strengthening the corrosion/wear resistance of epoxy resin coating

Strong interfacial interactions between nanofillers and resin molecules are crucial for enhancing the corrosion/wear resistance of composite coating. Herein, an interface engineering strategy that integrates Ti 3 C 2 T x with attapulgite nanofibers to create a hierarchical 2D/1D heterostructure (P–Ti 3 C 2 T x @ATP) is reported. The as-prepared P–Ti 3 C 2 T x @ATP with woolen-like structure is incorporated into epoxy resin coating to enhance the anticorrosion and tribological properties. The corresponding enhancement mechanisms are thoroughly investigated. The results indicate that the energy storage modulus of composite coating with P–Ti 3 C 2 T x @ATP (PMX@ATP) is increased by 972 MPa compared to pure epoxy resin coating (EP). The PMX@ATP shows reductions of 0.12 in friction coefficient and 77% in wear rate. And its coating resistance (2.97 × 10 6  Ω cm 2 ) surpasses that of EP (2.70 × 10 5  Ω cm 2 ) by an order of magnitude after 21 days of immersion. The woolen-like P–Ti 3 C 2 T x @ATP has strong interfacial interactions with resin molecules, which exerts the barrier effect of Ti 3 C 2 T x and improves the resistance of composite coating to plastic deformation. This work provides a new idea for the design of MXene-based coatings. Download: Download high-res image (265KB) Download: Download full-size image