Plasma polymerized organosilanes as interfacial modifiers in polymer-metal systems

Plasma polymers deposited under vacuum conditions have the advantage of creating strong interfacial bonds (possibly covalent bonds) at polymer-metal interfaces. This is particularly advantageous when silane chemistry is involved. Polymer-metal oxane bonds (M-O-Si) can be created in the form of tight networks by plasma polymerization directly on the metal substrates, e.g. steel. Using this tightly-networked silane plasma polymer as a priming layer on steel followed by an organofunctional silane polymer coating (i.e. polymer resin containing organofunctional silane) will form an effective corrosion protective layer as a whole. The structure and properties of the plasma-deposited organosilane polymers, the corrosion performance of such coating systems on steel substrates, and the interfacial chemistry were investigated in this study.