What is it about?

We use computer simulations to look at the molecular and atomic level interactions of common paint components on iron oxide surfaces. We looked at two different iron oxides, hematite and magnetite and found that the paint sticks more strongly to hematite. We also looked at different surface functional groups. Finally we looked at the impact of entropy on the adsorption of these molecules.

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Why is it important?

Paint is used to protect the underlying surface from corrosion which can significantly shorten the lifespan of the structure. Here we consider an epoxy molecule that is commonly used in a lot of paints for large steel and iron structures including bridges. By understanding how paint sticks we can improve the corrosion protection of paint. We looked at different surface functional groups which can be inform the surface pre-treatment and how it influences the paints adhesion.

Perspectives

This paper was the first from my new project and gave some interesting results about how it is important to consider different surfaces

Dr Charlie Wand
University of Exeter

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Adsorption of Epoxy Oligomers on Iron Oxide Surfaces: The Importance of Surface Treatment and the Role of Entropy, Langmuir, October 2021, American Chemical Society (ACS),
DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c02015.
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Contributors

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