［Objective］To solve the problems of excessively high viscosity and uneven stirring inwaterborne bisphenol A epoxy zinc-rich coatings during phase inversion emulsification when noexternal diluent is added while the epoxy component serves as the carrier for zinc powder.［Methods］ Three binary amide acids were synthesized using 4-methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride and commercially available diamines as raw materials. These amide acids were subsequently reacted withbisphenol A epoxy resin E51 to yield three corresponding amide acid-modified epoxy resins. The modified resins were blended with an emulsifier and propylene glycol methyl ether to produce awaterborne zinc-rich epoxy resin suitable for waterborne zinc-rich coating systems. The structures ofthe amide acids and amide acid-modified epoxy resins were confirmed by ¹H NMR and infraredspectroscopy. The viscosity and glass transition temperature（T_g）of the amide acid-modified epoxyresins were characterized using rheometer and differential scanning calorimetry，respectively. Additionally，the amide acid-modified waterborne zinc-rich epoxy resins were formulated into coatingswith a commercially available amine-based curing agent to study the viscosity variation during thephase inversion process and the coating application performance. The practical performance of thecoatings was evaluated through water resistance，alkali resistance，and salt spray tests.［Results］The viscosity and T_g of the amide acid-modified epoxy resins were significantly lower than those ofbisphenol A epoxy resin E20. Notably，the prepared coatings exhibited no sharp viscosity increaseduring the emulsification and phase-inversion process，demonstrating superior application performance compared to commercial counterparts. The coatings also displayed excellent media resistance.［Conclusion］The resin derived from m-xylylenediamine displayed the most balanced comprehensive properties，along with superior application performance，effectively fulfilling the practical requirements for such products.