Graphene@attapulgite nanohybrid silicone Sol-gel coating toward good corrosion resistance

Abstract Graphene with shielding effect can improve the corrosion resistance of organic coatings, but its high electrical conductivity intensifies the corrosion of metal substrate due to micro-galvanic effect on the interface of coating and substrate. The regulation of graphene’s conductivity can inhibit the corrosion-promotion effect. Hence, graphene supported attapulgite (GNS-ATP) nanosheets with lower conductivity were successfully prepared by using TEOS as coupling agent, then were introduced into Sol-gel coatings via using gamma methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as precursors. The characterization on corrosion resistance of the hybrid coatings illustrates that a small amount of well-dispersed GNS-ATP nanosheets can significantly enhance the corrosion resistance, mainly depending on the structure and performance characteristics of GNS-ATP nanosheets. Such advantages on reducing porosity and conductivity of hybrid coatings offer a better corrosion resistance.