Rivestimenti epossidici fotopolimerizzati derivati da oli vegetali = UV-cured epoxy coatings from vegetable oils

This study presents the characterization of innovative epoxy coatings derived from vegetable oils. They are photopolymerized materials derived from epoxidized grape seed oils or epoxidized rose hip seed oils. A complete characterization of the coatings was performed, both to study chemico-physical properties such as contact angle and glass transition temperature, and to investigate their corrosion protection effectiveness. The coatings were deposited on mild steel substrates and then characterized by means of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) in order to analyse their barrier properties. A good protection effectiveness was found, specifically for the coatings characterized by a higher crosslinking density. Thus, results show the possibility to optimize the barrier properties of these bio-based materials by means of a proper choice of the precursor oils.