New methodical approaches for the investigation of weathered epoxy resins used for corrosion protection of steel constructions

[Display omitted] •Epoxy resins (EP) undergo photooxidative degradation upon UV-irradiation.•ToF-SIMS and ICP-MS prove that inorganic pigments are exposed on the surface.•LC-MS/MS analyses provide insights into degradation pathways of the EP polymer.•A mechanism for early delamination of weathered EP/PUR coating systems is proposed. Epoxy resin coatings applied to steel constructions for corrosion protection purposes are often exposed to UV-irradiation and weathering during the construction process. Chemical alteration of the hardened coating might lead to i) the release of potentially harmful substances into the environment and ii) delamination of the polyurethane top layer. However, chemical processes and mechanisms occurring on the surfaces of exposed epoxy resin coatings are not fully understood yet. Herein, we present an innovative approach combining time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) enabling the elucidation of underlying chemical processes and the identification of released organic and inorganic photolytic products. IR-spectroscopy and experiments targeting the acidity/pH-value changes on top of weathered surfaces complement our investigations. It was confirmed that UV-A irradiation leads to photooxidative degradation of the epoxy resin and that inorganic photolytic products are exposed on the weathered surfaces. Polar moieties (hydroxyls, carbonyls, carboxyls, amines) and released metalloids form a hydrophilic surface layer, which hinders adhesion and eventually prevents profound chemical linkage of the polyurethane top layer. Thus, an early delamination of the top layer might occur very likely.