Cobalt (II) used as a catalyst to drying properties of healing agents for self-healing coatings / Cobalto (II) utilizado como catalisador de propriedades de secagem de agentes de cura para revestimentos auto-regenerativos

Vegetable oils have been largely used as healing agents for self-healing coatings, which in turn, can recover their physical integrity upon damage due to oil film formation resulted of its oxidative polymerization process. Linseed oil (LO) and chia oil (CO) are able to form films because of their air-drying properties and high polyunsaturated fatty acids content. In this work, drying properties of CO and LO with and without cobalt (II) octoate, as a catalyst for the oxidative polymerization, were quantitatively estimated over time by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The CO drying property showed 47% higher than LO and the catalyst has successfully accelerated the oxidative polymerization of both oils in 95%. Microcapsules containing both pure and catalyzed oils were prepared, mixed into epoxy resin, and applied onto AISI 1020 steel samples. Their healing effect was evaluated through a simulated scratch and submitted to electrochemical tests and imaging.