The surface of ZrO 2 nanoparticles was modifi ed by styrene coupling grafting method to improve the dispersion and interaction of the nanoparticles with the epoxy coating in which the modifi ed ZrO 2 nanoparticles were used as an additive. The grafting performance and microstructure of the nanoZrO 2 /epoxy coating were analyzed by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The corrosion behavior of the nano-ZrO 2 /epoxy coating on mild steel was evaluated in neutral 3.5 wt% NaCl solution using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Both the coating capacitance and coating resistance fi tted by the equivalent circuit from EIS were used to evaluate the protective performance of the coating towards the mild steel. The results show a superior stability and effi cient corrosion protection by the modifi ed ZrO 2 nanoparticles. The epoxy coating containing 2 wt% modifi ed ZrO 2 nanoparticles exhibited the best corrosion performance among all the coating specimens. This research may provide an insight into the protection of mild steel using modifi ed epoxy coatings.