Corrosion resistance performance of the self-assembled reduction of graphene/silane composite films

To improve the corrosion resistance of an aluminium alloy, a bis [3- (triethoxysilyl) propyl] tetrasulfide (BTESPT) - reduced graphene (rGO) etching self-assembly composite film (CE-SAMs-rGO) was fabricated by a method that combinies chemical etching with self-assembly. The surface morphology, composition and structure of the CE-SAMs-rGO were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). At the same time, the hydrophobicity of the film was also tested using a contact angle tester. Finally, the corrosion resistance of the CE-SAMs-rGO film was studied by polarization curve, AC impedance and soaking measurements. The results showed that the corrosion current density of the CE-SAMs-rGO was 2.274×10−9 A/cm−2, and the AC impedance was 2.402×106 Ω cm2. The CE-SAMs-rGO samples were more resistant to corrosion than bare aluminium and the CE-SAMs samples. These results indicated that graphene helps to enhance the ability of the film to prevent corrosive ions from invading the metal matrix, and further indicates that graphene aids the corrosion resistance of metals.