In most cases silica/polymer nanocomposites are
used as protective coatings, either to improve the
mechanical characteristics of the substrate material (i. e.,
wear, scratch, abrasion resistance) or to insure the
corrosion resistance in various environments. Corrosion-
protection nanosilica/polymer coatings on metallic
substrates, for example, provide an effective physical
barrier between the metal and its environment containing
aggressive species, such as enhanced chloride-ion concentration,
O2 or H+. A uniform dispersion of nanoparticles
(i.e., SiO2) in a chosen polymer matrix with
desirable characteristics (i. e., epoxy) is shown to
increase the surface hydrophobicity (i.e., the self-cleaning
effect) and to improve the adhesion between the
composite coating and the metallic surface.26,45–47