Spectroscopic and corrosion resistance characterization of GLYMO–TEOS Ormosil coatings for aluminum alloy corrosion inhibition

Corrosion resistance properties of spray- and dip-coated 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GLYMO)–tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) Ormosil films have been investigated using salt spray analysis. ¹H–¹³C and ¹H–²⁹Si CP/MAS NMR analyses indicate that organic content and hydrolysis water ratio affect the Ormosil structure, and in turn, the corrosion resistance properties of the Ormosil film. For spray-coated samples, films derived from the 11 mol% GLYMO Ormosil prepared using hydrolysis water content (W=2 and 4) provided good corrosion protection, as this combination of organic content, water ratio, and deposition method produced films of the appropriate thickness, hydrophobicity, and density for good corrosion protection. Films prepared from high organic contents (25 and 67 mol% GLYMO) and low hydrolysis water content values (W=1 and 2) exhibited the best corrosion resistance for films prepared by dip coating. Presumably, these films comprise a dense network structure with organic groups dispersed throughout the film, providing a hydrophobic barrier coating capable of repelling water and corrosion initiators.