Interface-driven phase-separated coatings

A homogeneous mixture of two polymers dissolved in a common solvent or a mixture of solvents was applied as a thin film. The first component was a bisphenol-A based epoxide derivative modified with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) oligomer and the second component was a high-solids fluorinated acrylic copolymer. The thin films were coated on steel substrates and were thermally crosslinked using a methylated melamine formaldehyde and/or a polyamide-amine curing agent. The films were evaluated via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with integrated energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). It was found that the molecular weight of the resins, fluorine content, epoxide inorganic modification, and curing agent affected the degree of stratification.