Date of Award

Spring 5-2017

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Polymers and High Performance Materials

Committee Chair

James Rawlins

Committee Chair Department

Polymers and High Performance Materials

Committee Member 2

Jeffery Wiggins

Committee Member 2 Department

Polymers and High Performance Materials

Committee Member 3

Derek Patton

Committee Member 3 Department

Polymers and High Performance Materials

Committee Member 4

Sarah Morgan

Committee Member 4 Department

Polymers and High Performance Materials

Committee Member 5

Gopinath Subramanian

Committee Member 5 Department

Polymers and High Performance Materials

Abstract

This dissertation research sought to provide a fundamental basis of understanding to commence the systematic investigation of developing economically viable fully formulated epoxy-amine coating systems containing multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). Namely, a facile and rapid method for multiwall carbon nanotube surface modification and molecular structure interpretation was developed to assist in designing MWCNT-polymer interactions and achieving high levels of dispersion. Additionally, a rapid and quantitative method was developed to investigate the dispersibility potential of MWCNTs possessing a given surface modification in combination with a dispersion protocol which can further be utilized as a quality control metric in commercial applications. It was observed and quantified that multiwall carbon nanotubes altered the average water hydrogen bonding distribution within an epoxy-amine polymer thin film. These measured differences in water hydrogen bonding interactions correlated consistently and well with reduced corrosion rates of epoxy-amine coated steel substrates with intentionally created defects. To create further understanding, additional nano-carbon allotropes (carbon black, MWCNT, graphene) were utilized in an attempt to establish a relationship between water hydrogen bonding interactions within an epoxy-amine matrix coated over a steel substrate and the corrosion performance; specifically, when the relative concentration of bound water increased and the relative concentration of free water decreased, the overall rate of corrosion decreased in each of the systems studied. A simple and experimentally derived equation proved capable of predicting ~91% of the variation in the measured corrosion rates from the established water hydrogen bonding interactions measured at ambient from pre-corrosion testing conditions, t=0, using a stepwise multivariable regression analysis approach and incorporating each of the varying nano-carbon allotrope systems.

ORCID ID

0000-0002-4300-7937

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