Development of graphene incorporated acrylic-epoxy composite hybrid anti-corrosion coatings for corrosion protection

Corrosion-induced damages have resulted in malfunctions as well as failures in metallic structures and led to economical loss. In addition, the wonder material, graphene, is widely applied in the corrosion protection coatings due to its excellent chemical stability, superior mechanical properties, and high corrosion resistance. Herein, the remarkable features of graphene-based nanofillers to improve the barrier performance of the acrylic-epoxy based polymer coatings are demonstrated. In different weight percentages, graphene nanoflakes were added to the blended polymer coatings and the hybrid coatings were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Contact angle (CA), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to investigate the chemical structure, surface roughness, surface morphology and coating dispersibility and corrosion protection properties, respectively. All the coatings were prepared using solution intercalation technique (sonication process) to overcome the nanoparticle agglomeration. Furthermore, the obtained results suggested that incorporation of 1 wt% graphene remarkable improved the protective properties of the polymer coatings due to the excellent dispersion and even distribution of the graphene nanoparticles. Moreover, an increment of the CA was displayed with a decreasing trend in the water absorption rate particularly for 0.5–3 wt% loading rates of graphene nanoparticles within the polymeric matrix. At higher graphene concentrations, the large agglomeration led in the overall reduction of the corrosion resistance. However, at different immersion time, the FESEM micrographs revealed that a strong anticorrosion barrier was provided by the graphene nanofillers over a period of 90 days of immersion. Overall, due to the fascinating properties of graphene, the inclusion of graphene-based nanofillers in the polymer matrix enhanced the barrier and protective properties of the coatings.