Facile preparation of anticorrosive and decorative multifunctional coatings via the inclusion of pearlescent oxide-covered mica pigments

The keynote of this work was to prepare cost-saving intensely colored pearlescent pigments with anticorrosive properties via deposition of a low ratio of expensive mixed oxides on mica to be applied in decorative and anticorrosive multifunctional coatings. Herein, a mixture of CeO₂ and Fe₂O₃ was precipitated on mica to prepare anticorrosive pigment with golden color, while brilliant intensive orange pigment was prepared via the deposition of ZrO₂.Fe₂O₃ mix on mica. The prepared pearlescent pigments based on mica flakes covered with CeO₂.Fe₂O₃ and ZrO₂.Fe₂O₃ were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray fluorescence, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The mixed oxide-covered mica pigments (Ce-Fe@M and Zr-Fe@M) were applied in two paint formulations in addition to one formulation containing mica for comparison. The color of the resulting coatings was investigated utilizing the CIELab technique. Additionally, the inhibitive properties of the coatings were determined using potentiodynamic anodic polarization, open circuit voltage, linear polarization resistivity, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. The results declared that the color of the coating containing CeO₂.Fe₂O₃@M is gold and that of ZrO₂.Fe₂O₃/M is brilliant orange. Moreover, the results deduced that the resistance of coating containing Ce-Fe@M ranged between (5061–4887 Ω) and that containing Zr-Fe@M is from 6846 to 3290 Ω, while coating based on mica is the least. These results revealed that the present study has succeeded in offering both anticorrosive and decorative functions in a single-layered coat.