Improvement of the epoxy coating properties by incorporation of polyaniline surface treated TiO2 nanoparticles previously modified with vitamin B6

Abstract Novel TiO 2 -PANI core-shell nanocomposite, prepared by in situ oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of TiO 2 nanoparticles surface modified with vitamin B6, was used to reinforce epoxy resin. The size of prepared TiO 2 nanoparticles and TiO 2 -PANI nanocomposite were determined by a transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The surface modification of TiO 2 nanoparticles was confirmed by FTIR and UV–vis spectroscopy, while the morphology of PANI and TiO 2 -PANI nanocomposite was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The influence of TiO 2 -PANI nanocomposite on glass transition temperature, dielectric and dynamic mechanical properties, thermooxidative stability, mechanical and anticorrosion properties of epoxy based nanocomposites was investigated and compared to the properties of epoxy/PANI nanocomposites. It has been observed that the glass transition temperature of epoxy resin increases after introduction of PANI and TiO 2 -PANI nanocomposite, as well as with increasing their content. Prepared nanocomposites exhibited higher value of dielectric constant than pure epoxy resin. Epoxy based coating containing TiO 2 -PANI nanocomposite showed lower dielectric loss, higher hardness and better anticorrosion properties than pure epoxy resin and epoxy/PANI nanocomposite.