A rust preventing method for metal in which a coating layer is formed on the surface of metal, wherein said coating layer is formed by curing an epoxy resin composition comprising an epoxy resin and an epoxy resin curing agent as principal components, and said coating layer has an oxygen permeability coefficient of 2 ml-mm/m2·day·MPa or less at a temperature of 23° C. and a relative humidity of 60% RH,
- wherein said coating layer includes 30% by weight or more of a skeletal structure represented by the following Formula (1)
- and said epoxy resin curing agent comprises a reaction product of (A) and (B) or a reaction product of (A), (B) and (C) described below:
- (A) a polyamine selected from the group consisting of aliphatic amines, aliphatic amines having aromatic ring, alicyclic amines and aromatic amines,
- (B) a multifunctional compound having at least one acyl group which can form an amide group part by reacting with the polyamine to form an oligomer, and
- (C) monovalent carboxylic acid having 1 to 8 carbon atoms and/or a derivative thereof.