ANALYSIS OF APPEARANCE QUALITY OF SILICATE COATINGS BY ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY METHOD

Subject: studying surface quality of silicate coatings based on sol-silicate paints. Research objectives: study regularities in formation of the quality of appearance of silicate coatings, depending on the type of film-forming agent. Materials and methods: polysilicate solutions were prepared by interaction of stabilized solutions of colloidal silica (sols) with liquid glasses. Scanning probe microscopy methods were used to assess the quality of the coating surface. The parameters of surface roughness were determined. Results: it is shown that it is possible to improve the appearance of silicate coatings by using in paints the polysilicate solutions as a film-forming agent. It has been shown that for coating samples based on sodium and potassium polysilicate solution, the surface patches with a less pronounced relief are observed compared to the nature of microprofiles of the coating samples based on potassium and sodium liquid glass. Coatings based on potassium and sodium polysilicate solution are characterized by more uniform distribution of the surface roughness. Conclusions: sol-silicate paints are characterized by higher quality of appearance of the coatings.