Influence of graphite particles in UV-curable corrosion protection coating from palm oil based urethane acrylate (POBUA)

Replacing petroleum oil with renewable sources from natural oil in producing polymer coating is being widely attracting many researchers and inventors. In this study, palm oil-based urethane acrylate (POBUA) coating was developed as a protective coating for mild steel by using the ultraviolet irradiation technique. The POBUA was synthesized by reacting acrylated palm oil and isocyanate via in situ intercalative polymerizations with the presence of hydroxyethyl acrylate and 4 methoxy phenol (4mph). Different loadings of graphite particles (0.1 wt%, 0.5 wt% and 0.8 wt%) were introduced into the POBUA with the presence of Irgacure 184 as the photoinitiator. The formulated coating resin was applied on the mild steel substrates and the overall performances were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , contact angle measurements, X-Ray Diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy , and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy . Meanwhile, Gel content extraction and Pendulum Hardness were done on the cured film to investigate the performance of the polymerized coating polymer. The obtained results exposed good distribution of graphite particles in the POBUA polymeric matrix will influence the overall performance of the POBUA coatings at POBUA + 0.5 wt% graphite. Infrared spectrum demonstrated the formation of the crosslinked network was not disrupted with the addition of graphite particles, while increment of crystallinity index and hardness observed. Meanwhile TAFEL polarization elucidate the present of graphite particles reduced the curable POBUA coating corrosion current density from 102.6 × 10 −6 to 27.3 × 10 −12 Acm −2 with decreasing of mild steel corrosion rate per year from 31.24mpy to 125.1 × 10 −6 mpy. However, morphology showed that the addition of high graphite content (0.8 wt%) increased the tendency to particles agglomeration. Nevertheless, the results obtained showed that the presence of graphite particles in POBUA is beneficial in improving the strength of the coating against surface degradation and corrosion. This research demonstrates that POBUA/Graphite curable coating has a good potential application in mild steel protection. • Anticorrosion study for palm oil-based urethane acrylate enhanced by graphite was carried out. • Graphite particles influences the corrosion behavior as shown in Tafel plot. • The strength of the coating against corrosion was enhanced with the presence of graphite. • Graphite particles enhanced charge transfer resistance R ct of POBUA. • The POBUA R ct increased from 0.92 × 10 6 Ω up to 9.253 × 10 6 Ω.