Chemical modification of talc with corrosion inhibitors to enhance the corrosion protective properties of epoxy-ester coating

•Organic and inorganic corrosion inhibitors were loaded in the talc particles.•The modified particles showed corrosion inhibition in solution and coating phases.•Organic and inorganic species revealed synergistic corrosion inhibitive effect. The present work aims to study the function of talc as a corrosion inhibitor reservoir and its ability to absorb and release corrosion inhibitors to achieve active corrosion protection in an epoxy ester coating. In this sense, zinc cation and 4, 5-imidazole dicarboxylic acid were used for talc modification. The performance of corrosion inhibitors was studied in the solution and coating phases using electrochemical and surface analyses. Results indicated that talc can adsorb the corrosion inhibitors and release them in saline solution. It was found that these inhibitors have a synergistic inhibition effect in the solution and coating phases.