Influence of the Sol pH on Electrochemical and Mechanical Behaviors of Siloxane-PMMA Hybrid Films Combined with UV Ink

Pre-treatments with a siloxane-PMMA base have shown promising results when combined with the new ink technology with curing by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Tinplate sheets were coated with a hybrid film obtained from a sol with alkoxides precursors consisting of 3-(trimethoxysilylpropyl) methacrylate and tetraethoxysilane and adding an organic phase composed of poly(methyl methacrylate). The hydrolysis reactions were catalyzed with a nitric acid solution (pH = 1 and pH = 3). The hybrid films were obtained by a dip-coating process, coated with red-colored paint UV curing and characterized for their electrochemical and mechanical behavior. The results showed that a more acidic pH (pH = 1) promotes the formation of a hybrid film with better protective properties, presented a better electrochemical performance and higher values of layer thickness. However, the hybrid film obtained with pH = 3 combined with the UV coating presented the best performance. This result is probably due to a better anchorage and adhesion verified in this sample.