Cinnamic acid: achievements in economical and environmentally friendly anti-rust paint

As the main active ingredient of a cassia plant extract, cinnamic acid has never imagined that it has played an irreplaceable role in steel companies.

Rust prevention has always been listed as an equally important issue for steel companies. In the past, most of the rust prevention measures adopted by steel companies were smearing grease, which was rarely used due to the greasy removal of the surface of the material. It was then developed to be an oily rust-proof, easy to use, and low in price, but due to the presence of substandard oils. Salts, chromates, and other toxic substances are harmful to operators, and the country has restricted the use of these products. The performance of these products is single and cannot meet the anti-rust requirements of magnetic alloy materials.

Wuhan Jiangnan Industrial Co., Ltd. is a high-tech company specializing in the production of anti-rust products for the national steel companies. The use of the surface active characteristics of cinnamic acid, coupled with the cinnamic acid can enhance the brightening of the metal surface, developed a new type of water-based anti-rust coating. This type of metal anti-rust coating, considered to be economical and environmentally friendly, uses cinnamic acid, a strong metal chelating agent, as the main component, and is formulated with other water-based additives. Cinnamic acid is a non-toxic organic chemical product. When it is used as a rust inhibitor for magnetic materials, it can quickly chelate with the metal on the surface to form a dense single-molecule complex protective film, which can effectively inhibit metal corrosion. The surface of the material treated by the product remains in its original color, and it can be used in the next process such as painting without washing.

R&D experts introduced that the new products all have excellent chelating and rusting functions and can be applied with wet and rust paint. The coating has superior adhesion and excellent elasticity, impact and wear resistance, resistance to temperature changes, resistance to wet and dry alternation; excellent resistance to chemicals, water, and impermeability, and excellent rust and corrosion resistance. Can be well matched with most coatings, such as polyurethane, acrylic, chlorinated rubber, alkyd, phenolic, etc. The new type of water-based anti-rust coating is applicable to large-scale steel components such as bridges, pipelines, ships, vehicles, machinery and equipment, and iron and steel structural plants. It can also be used as a temporary protective coating and can be directly applied to the surface of wet and rusted metal substrates after high-pressure water derusting.

Cinnamic acid itself is a flavor and fragrance, active surface hydrophilic groups, completely harmless to the human body. Cinnamic acid has been commonly used for electroplating and has the characteristic of greatly enhancing the brightness of the metal surface.