Incorporation of electroconductive carbon fibers to achieve enhanced anti-corrosion performance of zinc rich coatings

Understanding the Interface Enhancement Mechanisms of CFRP with the Polydopamine-Polyetheramine Interphase at the Molecular Level

In this work, polydopamine (PDA) and polyetheramine D230 were selected to construct the PDA-D230 interphase between the carbon fiber (CF) and epoxy matrix. Density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to explore the interface enhancement mechanisms of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) with the PDA-D230 interphase from the molecular level. The adsorption characteristics of a PDA molecule on the CF surface were investigated using the DFT method. The results show that stronger π-π stacking interactions are formed due to the structure and orientation preference of the PDA molecule. The interfacial structures and properties of CFRP with the PDA-D230 interphase are derived from MD simulations. The PDA-D230 interphase on the CF surface induces stronger interfacial interaction energy, leading to the better load transfer between the CF and epoxy matrix. The existence of the PDA-D230 interphase on the CF surface can decrease the mean-square displacement (MSD) value and the free volume fraction of CFRP, which restricts the movement of epoxy atoms and inhibits the translational and rotational motion of epoxy chains. Compared with the epoxy using pristine CFs as reinforcement, the interfacial shear stress (ISS) of CFRP with the PDA-D230 interphase is improved by 13.1%. Our results provide valuable insights into the interface characteristics of CFRP with the PDA-D230 interphase, which are of great significance for exploring the strengthening mechanisms for CFRPs with the PDA-D230 interphase.

2D Nanomaterials Reinforced Organic Coatings for Marine Corrosion Protection: State of the Art, Challenges, and Future Prospectives

2D nanomaterials, with extraordinary physical and chemical characteristics, have long been regarded as promising nanofillers in organic coatings for marine corrosion protection. The past decade has witnessed the high-speed progress of 2D nanomaterial-reinforced organic composite coatings, and plenty of breakthroughs have been achieved as yet. This review covers an in-depth and all-around outline of the up-to-date advances in 2D nanomaterial-modified organic coatings employed for the marine corrosion protection realm. Starting from a brief introduction to 2D nanomaterials, the preparation strategies and properties are illustrated. Subsequently, diverse protection models based on composite coatings for marine corrosion protection are also introduced, including physical barrier, self-healing, as well as cathodic protection, respectively. Furthermore, computational simulations and critical factors on the corrosion protection properties of composite coatings are clarified in detail. Finally, the remaining challenges and prospects for marine corrosion protection based on 2D nanomaterials reinforced organic coatings are highlighted.

Advanced materials for smart protective coatings: Unleashing the potential of metal/covalent organic frameworks, 2D nanomaterials and carbonaceous structures

The detrimental impact of corrosion on metallic materials remains a pressing concern across industries. Recently, intelligent anti-corrosive coatings for safeguarding metal infrastructures have garnered significant interest. These coatings are equipped with micro/nano carriers that store corrosion inhibitors and release them when triggered by external stimuli. These advanced coatings have the capability to elevate the electrochemical impedance values of steel by 2-3 orders of magnitude compared to the blank coating. However, achieving intelligent, durable, and reliable anti-corrosive coatings requires careful consideration in the design of these micro/nano carriers. This review paper primarily focuses on investigating the corrosion inhibition mechanism of various nano/micro carriers/barriers and identifying the challenges associated with using them for achieving desired properties in anti-corrosive coatings. Furthermore, the fundamental aspects required for nano/micro carriers, including compatibility with the coating matrix, high specific surface area, stability in different environments, stimuli-responsive behavior, and facile synthesis were investigated. To achieve this aim, we explored the properties of micro/nanocarriers based on oxide nanoparticles, carbonaceous and two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials. Finally, we reviewed recent literature on the application of state-of the art nanocarriers based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs). We believe that the outcomes of this review paper offer valuable insights for researchers in selecting appropriate materials that can effectively enhance the corrosion resistance of coatings.

Improving the Corrosion Resistance of Zn-Rich Epoxy Coating with Three-Dimensional Porous Graphene

To improve the corrosion inhibition of zinc-rich epoxy (ZRE) composite coatings and shed light on the influence of the spatial structure of graphene fillers on the coatings' performance, three-dimensional graphene (3DG) and a conventional graphene sheet (G) were used to modify the ZRE composite paint, respectively. The effect of introducing the 2D G fillers on the anti-corrosion behavior of ZRE was studied comprehensively, and its optimal content was determined to be 0.5 wt%. Interestingly, it was found that, comparing with 2D graphene sheets, the corrosion resistance of the ZRE coating could be enhanced more significantly with incorporating even less 3DG. With introducing only 0.1 wt% 3DG, the corrosion current intensity of the resulting 3DG/ZRE coating was reduced to be about 1/10 that of the G/ZRE coating with the same graphene content and 27% of that of the optimized G/ZRE. The corrosion products of the coating were analyzed with the XRD technique. The results indicated that, in contrast to neat ZRE coating, Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 was absent from the corroded 3DG/ZRE coating, confirming its improved long-term anti-corrosion performance. The porous interconnected framework and high crystallinity of 3DG could contribute to not only its facilely mixing with epoxy resin, but also its effective incorporation into the conductive network of zinc micro-flakes, thus enhancing the corrosion resistance of its ZRE coating at a lower content. The innovative technology to improve the anti-corrosion performance of the ZRE coatings via using the 3D graphene fillers should be capable to be extended to other 2D fillers, such as MXenes.

Assessment of Anticorrosion Performance of Zinc-Rich Epoxy Coatings Added with Zinc Fibers for Corrosion Protection of Steel

The effect of adding 0.5 wt % zinc fibers on the anticorrosion performance of zinc-rich epoxy (ZRE) coatings with 85, 75, and 65 wt % of zinc dust was investigated. The salt spray testing, scanning electron microscopy, open circuit potential, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements were used to characterize the corrosion protection performance of coatings. The results indicate that the ZRE coating containing 85 wt % zinc dust showed superior cathodic protection, while the coating with 65 wt % zinc dust provided neither cathodic protection nor good barrier protection. No significant improvement in the anticorrosion performance was observed for both coatings with the addition of 0.5 wt % zinc fibers. In contrast, the ZRE coating containing 75 wt % zinc dust, which provided short-term cathodic protection followed by barrier protection, showed remarkably improved anticorrosion performance with the addition of zinc fibers.

pH-Sensitive Polydopamine-La (III) Complex Decorated on Carbon Nanofiber toward On-Demand Release Functioning of Epoxy Anti-Corrosion Coating

The high aspect ratio and unique thermal and electrical characteristics of carbon nanofiber (CNF) made it an ideal physical barrier against the penetration of corrosive ions. However, the poor compatibility of the CNF with the polymer matrix and the lack of active corrosion inhibitors are the key limitations of this nanomaterial, resulting in short-term anti-corrosion resistance. An intelligent self-healing epoxy (EP) coating, including CNF modified with a polydopamine (PDA)-La³⁺ complex, was successfully fabricated to overcome these issues. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) evaluation implied that mild steel (MS) submerged in a 3.5 wt % NaCl solution containing the CNF-PDA-La extract had a total corrosion resistance (R_T) of 3107 Ω cm² after 24 h, which is much greater than the MS immersed in the blank solution (1378 Ω cm²). Furthermore, the potentiodynamic polarization analysis indicated a 50% reduction in the corrosion rate (CR) of the MS soaked in the solution containing released PDA and La³⁺ inhibitors compared to the blank solution. EIS and salt spray analysis were used to assess the self-healing capabilities of epoxy coatings incorporating modified CNFs. EIS assessment of scratched coatings revealed a 117% improvement in R_T of the CNF-PDA-La/EP coating compared to the Blank/EP after 10 h of immersion in the saline solution. This enhancement is due to the intelligent release of PDA and La³⁺ inhibitors at the scratch sites, which can mitigate MS corrosion by forming a PDA-Fe complex and the deposition of La(OH)₃ on the MS surface. The salt spray test results also exhibited the CNF-PDA-La/EP coating's superior anti-corrosion capabilities after 20 days. Hence, this research presents a logical approach for developing anti-corrosion coatings with improved nanofiller compatibility and self-healing characteristics.

Comparative Study of Anti-Corrosion Properties and Lifespan Prediction Model for Inorganic Zinc-Rich Coating and Thermal-Spray Zinc Coating

On the basis of guaranteeing the reliability of the coating, thermal-spray zinc coating has been verified by the industry to have a lifespan of more than 20 years. It is an anti-corrosion coating with excellent performance. Inorganic zinc-rich coating being a new coating technology has a certain degree of influence on its popularization and application in the field of anti-corrosion; this is due to the lack of relevant comparison data on its anti-corrosion performance and service life. It is necessary to compare and analyze the service life and corrosion resistance of the two coatings, so as to obtain the best application scenarios for the two coatings and provide a reference for the selection of the most economical coating. Based on coating reliability, 7500 h of accelerated salt-spray tests of inorganic zinc-rich coating and of the thermal-spray coating of steel structures were carried out. Electrochemical and salt-spray tests on inorganic zinc-rich coating and thermal-spray zinc coating were carried out. The micro-corrosion morphology, corrosion rate and corrosion mechanism of the two coatings and the factors affecting the corrosion rate were obtained. An interfacial corrosion-thinning and weight-loss equation was established to predict the service life of inorganic zinc-rich coating by comparing it with that of the thermal-spray zinc coating salt-spray test; they suggested that inorganic zinc-rich coating has a longer service life. The results are of practical guiding significance for the selection of a zinc coating and the rapid selection and design of a supporting scheme, and can also provide a reference for the service-life prediction of other types of coatings.

Engineering the interface in graphene oxide/epoxy composites using bio-based epoxy-graphene oxide nanomaterial to achieve superior anticorrosion performance

The protective performance of graphene/polymer composite coatings largely depends on the interface design in resin matrix. Herein, we report the synthesis of bio-based cardanol epoxy modified graphene oxide (GODN) nanomaterial and its application in epoxy coatings for the achievement of fine interface toward high performance anticorrosion composite coatings. The chemical composition of prepared GODN nanomaterial was investigated by FTIR, Raman and XPS spectra, respectively. The presence of cardanol epoxy attached on GO surface promotes the formation of chemical bonds between GO and epoxy resin, providing strong interfacial interaction and enhanced adhesion. Electrochemical results revealed that the GODN1%/EP composite coating exhibits high impedance (4.38 × 10⁸ Ω cm²) even after 45 days immersion. Compared with pure EP coating, the localized corrosion reaction of GODN1%/EP coating can be inhibited under defected interface. The enhanced protective performance of GODN/EP composite coating was attributed to two aspects: (1) the impermeable GO greatly suppressed the penetration of aggressive ions and (2) the attached cardanol epoxy chains effectively improved the interfacial interaction and thus inhibited the crack propagation.

Carbon Nanomaterials: Application and Prospects of Urban and Industrial Wastewater Pollution Treatment Based on Abrasion and Corrosion Resistance

Environmental pollution as a result of urban and industrial wastewater has become an increasingly prominent issue. Rivers, lakes, and oceans that have become eutrophicated or polluted by suspended solids and hazardous substances in wastewater have endangered the environment. A root cause of this is the discharge of untreated urban and industrial wastewater into the ecosystem. As a solution to the pollution, wastewater treatment facilities have seen increasingly rapid development. Sewage pumps are designed to transport urban and industrial wastewater containing solid particles or hazardous substances to water treatment centers for purification and treatment. Sewage pumps are of great importance in the entire wastewater treatment system. Sewage in the environment where sewage pumps work usually contains sands, suspended particles, and plenty of saline ions. Flow passage components and sealing elements of the pump become vulnerable to abrasion and chemical corrosion, which further challenges operational stability of the pump. Research has remained focused on how to improve reliability of sewage pumps under severe conditions. Because of advances in materials science, the application of an increasing number of new materials has been witnessed, such as carbon-based composite materials and carbon nanomaterials, thanks to their fine self-lubrication performance, heat resistance, thermal and electrical conductivity, chemical stability, heat and seismic resistance, as well as plasticity. These properties contribute to enormous potential that new carbon-based composite materials and carbon nanomaterials have to offer in terms of corrosion resistance. This paper outlines application scenarios, research progress, and the prospect of new materials in sewage pumps.