Accumulation of 2-Acetylamino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole in chitosan coatings for improved anticorrosive effect on zinc

Chitosan (Chit) coatings were applied on zinc substrates by the dip-coating method. Subsequently, the coatings were impregnated with a corrosion inhibitor, 2-Acetylamino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (AcAMT) to obtain an increased anticorrosive effect. The coating thickness and the AcAMT accumulation were determined using UV–Vis spectroscopy on glass and quartz substrates, respectively. The surface morphology and coverage were investigated with atomic force microscopy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization techniques were used to investigate the protective properties of the impregnated coatings. The chitosan coatings facilitated the accumulation of the corrosion inhibitor inside the polymeric matrix (a multiplication of 380 times compared to the impregnating solution concentration was calculated), channeling high amounts of AcAMT to the Zn surface, which resulted in an inhibition efficiency of >90%. This effect demonstrates the applicability of chitosan coatings as carriers for corrosion inhibitors, significantly reducing the amount of inhibitor needed to achieve good anticorrosive effects.