The effects of polymer hardness on the abrasive wear resistance of organic coatings, designed for the corrosion protection of offshore wind power structures, have been investigated at varying applied forces.
The results of the tests revealed statistically significant effects of the polymer material’s Vickers hardness on the coating’s resistance against abrasive wear. With respect to the generic polymer type, the ranking of the abrasive wear resistance was estimated as epoxy > polysiloxane > polyurethane.
Thus, the most frequently applied top coat material (polyurethane) exhibited the lowest abrasive wear resistance and may therefore not be capable of protecting the underlaying epoxy-based intermediate coats. Polysiloxane-based coatings could provide a longer protection against abrasive wear.
The dominant material removal modes for all polymers were micro-cutting and micro-fracturing, whereas the former mode is dominant at lower normal (right angle) forces, and the latter is dominant at these higher forces.
This study was published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 146, September 2020.
