Fundamentals of Smart Corrosion Protection Coatings

Summary

Corrosion is the phenomenon where materials undergo degradation or deterioration due to chemical, electrochemical, or other reactions at the surface or interface, leading to material damage and failure of facility functions. Many methods and materials have been developed to retard the corrosion process. Organic coating is one of the most widely used with reliable protection performance. In recent years, smart coatings with multiple special functions have been designed and synthesized to endow the coatings with a longer service life. This chapter explores the fundamentals of smart coatings and corrosion protection technologies. It gives a brief introduction to corrosion protection coatings and smart design approaches for intelligent corrosion control. The degradation process of coatings and the corrosion process of metals are introduced in detail so beginners can have a basic understanding of corrosion protection techniques. The concepts and mechanisms of self‐healing coatings, self‐reporting coatings, superhydrophobic coatings, and others are explained, and the application fields of smart coatings are introduced. Compared to traditional corrosion protection coatings, smart coatings can ensure the lifetime safety of coatings, significantly reducing the cost of repairing damaged coatings and sending early warning of coating damage.