Improving the performance of anticorrosive coatings with graphene
Iranian researchers from Institute for Color Science and Technology improved the anticorrosive properties of polymeric coatings by using graphene and creating nanocomposite structures.
Annually, countries spend a large amount of money on corrosion prevention and repairing the damages due to corrosion.
Nanoparticles conserve protective ability
Anticorrosive coatings are used to prevent and reduce the above mentioned costs. Organic coatings are widely used to protect metals against corrosion. Epoxy coatings have desirable protective properties in corrosive media due to its unique characteristics. However, the coating is not able to conserve its protective ability for a long time in contact with corrosive media. Therefore, graphene oxide nanoparticles have been used in this research to create nanocomposite structure and increase protective properties of epoxy-based anticorrosive coating.
The use of synthetic nanocomposite coatings for the coating of onshore devices and equipment and in petrochemical units reduces expenses due to the corrosion, and increases the life of equipment, including pipelines.
Not stable in organic solvents
Graphene oxide-based nanoparticles have recently attracted the attention of researchers due to their unique properties. However, these materials are not compatible or stable in the majority of organic solvents. Therefore, surface modification process should be carried out on these materials by using amine compounds. The nanosheets are able to prevent the diffusion of corrosive agents into the coating or to postpone the diffusion for a while due to their very high specific area. Therefore, the life of the coating increases significantly.
Results of the research have been published in Corrosion Science, vol. 103, 2016, pp. 283-304.
