Aqueous corrosion protection formulation based on silanes

1. A method of protecting a substrate from corrosion, comprising applying a composition to a substrate surface and

curing said composition in air, wherein said composition comprises:

a binder,

water,

alcohol in a positive amount of less than 3% by weight, based on a total weight of the composition,

at least one first additive selected from the group consisting of zinc powder, zinc flake, zinc dust, a powder or a flake or a dust of zinc alloys, a zinc-bismuth alloy, an aluminum powder, an aluminum flake, a powder or a flake or a dust of aluminum alloys, a magnesium powder, a magnesium flake, and a powder or a flake of magnesium alloys,

an aqueous base pH adjuster, and

optionally a further additive,

wherein:

said composition has a pH of 7.1 to 14,

a dry residue of the binder is from 1% to 50% by weight, based on a total weight of the binder,

the binder comprises:

a cocondensate based on an ω-glycidyloxyalkylalkoxysilane of formula I

X—Si(R 2 ) x (OR 1 ) 3-x   (I),

wherein X is a 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyl, 1-glycidyloxymethyl, 2-glycidyloxyethyl, 3-glycidyloxypropyl or 3-glycidyloxyisobutyl group, R 1 and R 2 each independently are a linear or branched alkyl group comprising from 1 to 4 C atoms, and x is 0 or 1,

a bis(alkoxysilylalkyl)amine of formula II

(OR 1 ) 3 Si-A-Si(OR 1 ) 3   (II),

wherein each R 1 independently is a linear or branched alkyl group comprising from 1 to 4 C atoms and A is a bis-amino-functional group of formula IIa

—(CH 2 ) i —[NH(CH 2 ) f ] g NH[(CH 2 ) f* NH] g* —(CH 2 ) i* —  (IIa),

wherein i and i* each independently are an integer of 1, 2, 3 or 4, f and f* each independently are an integer of 1 or 2, and g and g* each independently are an integer of 0 or 1,

and optionally, at least one further silicon compound selected from the group consisting of tetraalkoxysilane, alkylalkoxysilane, mercaptoalkylalkoxysilane, carboxyalkylalkoxysilane, aminoalkylalkoxysilane, ureidoalkylalkoxysilane, thiocyanatoalkylalkoxysilane and a silica sob; and

said substrate is at least one substrate selected from the group consisting of a metal and a metal alloy.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the binder is obtained by a process comprising:

introducing water in a molar excess, based on silanes of the formulae I and II and, optionally, on the at least one further silicon compound and adjusting to an acidic pH with addition of an organic or inorganic acid, and an optional addition of a silica sol,

metering in the w-glycidyloxyalkylalkoxysilane of formula I, thereby obtaining a mixture,

heating the mixture,

optionally metering in further acid,

metering in the bis(alkoxysilylalkyl)amine of formula II and optionally at least one further silicon compound selected from the group consisting of tetraalkoxysilane, alkylalkoxysilane, mercaptoalkylalkoxysilane, carboxyalkylalkoxysilane, aminoalkylalkoxysilane, ureidoalkylalkoxysilane and thiocyanatoalkylalkoxysilane, thereby obtaining a reaction mixture,

reacting the reaction mixture,

subsequently removing at least proportionately a resultant hydrolysis alcohol from the reaction mixture under reduced pressure, thereby obtaining the binder,

optionally diluting the binder with water, an aqueous acid, or both, and

subsequently filtering the binder.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a dry residue is from 1% to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of the at least one first additive in the composition is from 1% to 95% by weight.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the further additive is selected from the group consisting of a defoamer, a thickener, a rheological assistant, a dispersion assistant, an anti-settling agent, a rust inhibitor, a wetting agent, an organic pigment, a polymer, a polymer dispersion, and catalyst for condensation and curing.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, based on the total weight of the composition, the further additive is at least one of a thickener of from 0% to 5% by weight, an anti-settling agent of 0% to 5% by weight, a wetting agent of 0% to 3% by weight, and a corrosion inhibitor of 0% to 1% by weight.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising curing said coating in air at a temperature of 16 to 26° C.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition has a pH of from 7.3 to 14.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least first additive is zinc dust.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition has a pH of 7.5 to 14.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition has a pH of 7.1 to 12.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition has a pH of 7.1 to 7.3.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition has a pH of 8.0 to 14.