Department of Chemistry, Queen's University, 90 Bader Lane, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2010 Mar;2(3):854-62. doi: 10.1021/am9008314.
We report on the application and characterization of two commercial polymer clearcoats to electrochemically formed colored passive layers on zirconium with the aim of providing effective physical and chemical protection while allowing the unique and colorful appearance of the colored passive layers to show through. Thin layers of an acrylic automotive clearcoat ( approximately 3.5 mum thick) and an epoxy marine clearcoat ( approximately 8.5 mum thick) were applied to the colored zirconium surfaces via spin coating and were found to only slightly modify their visual properties, maintaining their vibrant colors. As clearcoats were applied, the outer surface was found to be smoother than the surface of colored zirconium, thereby reducing potential wear from friction and the adhesion of fine dirt. Clearcoat-protected samples were found to wet less easily than colored zirconium alone, thus furthering its protection against damage in ambient (surface weathering) and aqueous media (aqueous corrosion). Light microscopy experiments at a 50-400x magnification revealed the absence of any structural defects in the clearcoats. The clearcoats show the ability to protect colored zirconium from physical and chemical damage, with the automotive clearcoat exhibiting superior adhesion. Our electrochemical coloring combined with the application of clearcoats creates a novel system that possesses unique esthetic properties while simultaneously offering protection against various forms of environmental damage such as weathering or corrosion.
我们报告了两种商业聚合物清漆在电化学形成的彩色被动层上的应用和特性，目的是在提供有效物理和化学保护的同时，允许彩色被动层的独特和丰富多彩的外观显现出来。通过旋涂将薄薄的一层丙烯酸汽车清漆（约 3.5 微米厚）和环氧船用清漆（约 8.5 微米厚）施加到彩色锆表面，发现它们仅略微改变了其视觉特性，保持了鲜艳的颜色。随着清漆的施加，外表面比彩色锆表面更光滑，从而减少了摩擦和细小污垢粘附引起的潜在磨损。发现涂有清漆的样品比单独的彩色锆更不容易润湿，从而进一步保护其免受环境（表面风化）和水介质（水腐蚀）的损坏。在 50-400x 放大倍数下进行的光学显微镜实验表明清漆中没有任何结构缺陷。清漆具有保护彩色锆免受物理和化学损伤的能力，其中汽车清漆具有优异的附着力。我们的电化学着色与清漆的应用相结合，创造了一种新颖的系统，具有独特的美学特性，同时提供了对各种形式的环境损坏（如风化或腐蚀）的保护。
