Self-dispersing complex lithium-based thickener fiber for high-performance anti-corrosion/wear epoxy coating filler

[Display omitted] •CLT fiber without surface modification has good dispersity and compatibility in epoxy coating.•The defect-free barrier network forms by self-dispersing CLT fiber.•The appropriate amount of CLT fiber effectively protect epoxy coating from corrosion at the defect region when the epoxy composite coating is damaged.•The epoxy composite coating incorporated with 1 wt% CLT fiber has excellent corrosion and wear resistance at the same time. Development of high-performance anti-corrosion/wear filler with good dispersity is of significance to optimize the protective performance of waterborne epoxy coatings. Here, a self-dispersing complex lithium-based thickener (CLT) fiber is synthesized via a one-step saponification reaction. The as-prepared CLT fiber can keep good dispersion in epoxy resin slurry even experiencing 7 days of standing, and continuous interface without agglomeration is formed in CLT hybrid epoxy coating. Furthermore, the anti-corrosion/wear properties and the relevant mechanisms of epoxy composite coatings are investigated in detail. As a result, the epoxy coating incorporated with 1 wt% CLT fiber (CLT-1) exhibits the best protection performance, reflecting that its water absorption is decreased by 78.3% and the coating resistance (Rc) is increased by an order of magnitude. Higher compactness and defect-free barrier network can reduce the diffusion rate of corrosion media, and CLT fiber exerts shielding effect in damaged region. The wear rate of CLT-1 (1.25 × 10-4 mm3/N·m) is decreased by 45.9% compared with pure epoxy coating, because its excellent ability against plastic deformation reduces the exfoliation of coating and the contact area at friction interface, thus ameliorating tribological behavior. CLT fiber can provide an applicative perspective for high-performance anti-corrosion/wear filler.