ABSTRACT
Polymer coatings are the main means of –protecting metals from corrosion. However, the mechanism of their protective action has been studied insufficiently, especially in biologically active media containing organic acids, enzymes, microorganisms and other components. This is due to the complexity of physicochemical processes occurring in the formation and performance of coatings, as well as to the influence of various factors on the protective properties: adhesion strength, internal stresses, barrier properties, nature of the support and method of its surface preparation, composition of the aggressive medium etc. These properties of coatings are determined not only by the chemical composition of polymer, but also by the specifics of structure formation in coatings, which determines the degree of inhomogeneity of coatings along the thickness of the film, level of its ordering, character of distribution of the chemical bonds and polar groups, and therefore the swelling capacity of coatings, rate of transfer of water and ions, direction of their movement, charge, rate of destructive processes.
