Properties and corrosion protection of polypyrrole prepared by electrochemical polymerization on aluminum

Abstract In a one‐step procedure that did not require any surface preparation, polypyrrole (PPy) films doped with 3‐nitrosalicylic acid (3Nisa) became effectively electropolymerized on the aluminum substrate in aqueous solutions. Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis were used to analyze the properties of PPy‐based films. Open circuit potential (OCP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Tafel polarization, and salt spray tests were used to study the corrosion‐resistant efficiency of the coatings. The as‐prepared PPy films performed corrosion resistance on aluminum in the 3% NaCl solution. However, the PPy films prepared in the 0.01 m solution of 3Nisa showed the best protection ability on aluminum. The self‐healing characteristic of the PPy films was recorded by varying the potential in the OCP measurement. The findings indicate the potential of using 3‐nitrosalicylic acid‐doped PPy films for applications as anti‐corrosion coatings for aluminum.