Study of a Nano-SiO2 Microsphere-Modified Basalt Flake Epoxy Resin Coating

Basalt flakes (BFs) have been widely used in recent years as a novel anticorrosion material in the marine industry to prevent the corrosion of metal substrates. In this study, BFs were modified with 1–7‰ nano-SiO2 microspheres, and a modified BF epoxy coating was successfully prepared. Experimental results showed that the BF epoxy resin coating modified with 3‰ nano-SiO2 microspheres exhibited excellent chemical durability (surface weight loss rate of 2.2% in the alkali solution and only 1.1% in the acid solution at room temperature after 480 h), low water infiltration (water absorption of 0.72% after 480 h), and good mechanical performance (tensile strength of approximately 33.4 MPa). This study proves the feasibility of using nano-SiO2 microspheres to modify BF epoxy resin coating and enhance the chemical durability and mechanical properties provided by the coating.