Effects of Zr-based and Ni-based amorphous alloy powders on the wear resistance and corrosion behavior of polyurethane composite coatings on aluminum alloys

Abstract

In this study, we present a new strategy for modifying polyurethane coatings to improve the surface performance of 6061 aluminum alloys, that is, Zr-based and Ni-based amorphous alloys were used as modified fillers. The addition of amorphous alloys resulted in alterations to the intermolecular forces among N-H bonds in the hard segments and the H-bond strength of CO bonds in the urea groups. The introduction of amorphous particles disordered the original arrangement of the fillers and gave rise to near-ring structures, which typically has a positive effect on the overall performance of the coatings. Under the synergistic effect of amorphous alloy properties and H-bond strength, hardness and wear resistance increased with increasing amorphous content. The coatings exhibit a certain degree of stealth performance, and the addition of amorphous alloys substantially improves the corrosion resistance of the coatings. Among the polyurethane/amorphous alloy composite coatings, the one containing 50 vol% Zr-based amorphous alloy has the best overall performance. Compared to previous researches, we pioneered the utilization of outstanding properties of Zr-based and Ni-based amorphous alloys to improve polyurethane coatings. This novel composite coating has great potential to be used as a corrosion-resistant coating and to be combined with good mechanical properties.