Preparation and characterization of hybrid coating based on silica nanocomposite containing corrosion inhibitor

Corrosion protective coating was developed on 1050 aluminum alloy through sol–gel process using 3- glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and diethylenetriamine (DETA) as cross-linking agent. The organic corrosion inhibitor (2-mercaptobenzimidazole) was used to induce inhibition properties. Salt spray method was employed to evaluate the corrosion protection performance. It is found that organic inhibitor improved corrosion resistance of the coatings. Formation of silica networks from two precursors GPTMS and TMOS in the presence of DETA curing agent was confirmed using FTIR. Distribution of silicon and sulfur, surface morphology and the presence of nanoparticles in the matrix were studied by SEM, EDX and TEM techniques too