Further modification of the pre-treated steel surface
with cerium
conversion coating was performed using a novel porous coordination
polymer (PCP) based on zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF8) in order
to reduce the defect and disorders of the surface. The treated mild
steels (MS) with Ce (MS/Ce) and Ce-ZIF8 (MS/Ce-ZIF8) were characterized
by the GIXRD, Raman, and FT-IR, and via contact angle and FE-SEM,
their surface features were investigated. The protection performance
of the samples against corrosion was evaluated in the saline solution
media using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS, in the long
term) and polarization tests. The results evidenced that applying
the ZIF8 nanoparticles onto the Ce-treated steel surface increased
the total resistance value after 24 h of immersion (49.47%). Afterward,
the ZIF8-modified coating (MS/Ce and MS/Ce-ZIF8) impact on the epoxy
coating protection function was characterized by EIS (in the scratched
form), salt spray (5 wt % salts), cathodic disbonding (at 25 °C),
and pull-off tests. The EIS outcomes of the scratched coatings proved
approximately a 51.29% increase in R
t of
the MS/Ce-ZIF8/EC sample compared with the MS/EC sample after 24 h
of immersion. The cathodic disbonding test results after 24 h of exposure
revealed that the delamination area of the coating decreased in the
modified sample, and the delamination radius of the epoxy coating
was about 4.78, 2.96, and 2.0 mm for the MS/EC, MS/Ce/EC, and MS/Ce-ZIF8/EC
samples, respectively.