Surfactants for Electrophoretic Deposition of Polyvinylidene Fluoride–Silica Composites

This investigation is motivated by the numerous advantages of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) for the fabrication of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and composite coatings and the various applications of such coatings. It is demonstrated that gallic acid (GA), caffeic acid (CFA), cholic acid (CA) and 2,3,4 trihydroxybenzoic acid (THB) can be used as charging and dispersing agents for the EPD of PVDF. The deposition yield of PVDF increases in the following order: THB < CFA < CA < GA. Test results indicate that the chemical structure of the dispersants exerts influence on the deposition efficiency. Potentiodynamic and impedance spectroscopy studies show the corrosion protection properties of PVDF coatings. GA is used for the co-EPD of PVDF with nanosilica and micron-size silica. The silica content in the composite coatings is varied by the variation of silica content in the suspensions. The ability to use GA as a charging and dispersing agent for the co-EPD of materials of different types paves the way for the fabrication of advanced organic–inorganic composites using EPD.