Properties of nano-Fe3O4 incorporated epoxy coatings from Cure Index perspective

[Display omitted] •Properties of nano-Fe3O4/epoxy coatings were viewed from Cure Index perspective.•Cure Index provided an image of crosslinking in nano-Fe3O4/epoxy coatings.•Corrosion inhibition performance and flame retardancy were explained as property representatives.•Low- and high-concentration nano-Fe3O4/epoxy systems were discussed for cure potential and properties. The mission of an advanced epoxy-based nanocomposite coating is to provide a given substrate with protection against an unwelcome guest; e.g. corrosive molecules/media, environmental stress, flame, thermal degradation or microorganisms. In such systems, the degree to which superior properties can be guaranteed depends on the state of network formation in the epoxy in the presence of nanoparticles. For low-filled epoxy nanocomposite coatings, barrierity was taken as the main mechanism controlling over the efficiency of corrosion inhibition in the coating against oxygen or other corrosive moieties, whilst in highly-loaded nanocomposites one should take a closer look at both physical and chemical interaction between the resin and nanoparticles. In this sense, epoxy/Fe3O4 systems were studied here as model nanocomposite coatings and their anti-corrosion and flame retardancy potentials were patterned in terms of qualitative cure analysis made in terms of Cure Index. Anti-corrosion and flame retardancy properties of the aforementioned nanocomposite coatings were mechanistically described at either low or high loading levels in view of Cure Index for postulates of structure-properties association in advanced nano-Fe3O4 incorporated epoxy nanocomposite coatings. We hope that speculations and visulizations provided here about structure-properties relationships are useful to be used in open discussions between experts in the hope of generalization to complex systems containing different types of nanoparticles whatever surface functionality.