synthesisofpolyurethanepolyureaformaldehydedoubleshelledmicrocapsulesforselfhealinganticorrosioncoatings

One-component, catalyst-free self-healing coatings with double-shelled polymer microcapsules have drawn considerable attention due to wide applications. In this work, the synthesis parameters of double-shelled polymer microcapsules and the mechanism of the self-healing process were systematically investigated. Apart from the chemical structure of the microcapsule shell, the shell thickness, the microcapsule size, and the core fraction could affect the self-healing anticorrosion properties. The synthesis parameters were further optimized in terms of the agitation rate, pH, weight ratio of core to shell, and temperature. Under these conditions, the microcapsule shell consisting of a rough surface formed by poly(urea-formaldehyde) and a smooth inner wall by polyurethane was prepared. The size of the microcapsules and core fraction were calculated to be approximately 30 μm and 75%, respectively. The self-healing anticorrosion coating incorporating as-synthesized microcapsules exhibited corrosion resistance in artificially scratched areas, which was further characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy