Synergic enhancement of the anticorrosion properties of an epoxy coating by compositing with both graphene and halloysite nanotubes

The aim of this research was to improve the corrosion resistance of metal surfaces with polymer coatings. Both graphene and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were introduced together into the epoxy resin coating for the enhanced barrier protection of the metallic surface. The anticorrosion behaviors of different coatings were comparatively evaluated by the potentiodynamic polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and neutral salt spray (NSS) tests. The potentiodynamic polarization curves showed that the coating containing 0.5 wt % HNTs and 0.8 wt % graphene (H05G08EP) together had the most positive corrosion potential and the minimum corrosion current density. The EIS results revealed that graphene endowed the composite coatings with excellent electrochemical performance for anticorrosive purposes. The NSS tests indicated that H05G08EP endured the longest NSS time. These results suggest that H05G08EP had the best corrosion resistance. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47562.