Corrosion is defined as the gradual deterioration of metallic materials and their properties, and occurs when the metal reacts with the surrounding environment to form rust or another chemical compound. In general, atmospheric air, humidity, rain, and aqueous solutions (chemical products) are the environments that are most frequently associated with corrosion problems.
Anticorrosive coatings play a crucial role in safeguarding installations, machinery, and equipment from corrosion, humidity, and fouling. In the commercial realm, a wide array of anticorrosive coatings exists, utilizing various additives and resins. While their effectiveness often comes with increased costs, these coatings still exhibit inadequate thermal and corrosion resistance, along with limited chemical resistance.
Prominent metal protection techniques encompass cathodic protection, corrosion inhibitor application, metal coating, and organic surface coating. Unfortunately, these methods suffer from drawbacks such as high usage costs, environmental pollution, and constrained application environments. Among them, surface organic coating stands as the most commonly employed and effective approach. This method involves enveloping the metal surface with an organic protective film, preventing direct contact between the metal and corrosive elements in the environment. This mitigation strategy reduces the likelihood of chemical or electrochemical reactions occurring on the metal surface.
However, a considerable part of the traditional organic coating contains toxic heavy metals such as chromate, lead and zinc, which has certain safety risks and environmental pollution risks. It not only consumes a large amount of non-renewable energy, but also is extremely unfavorable for the sustainable development of society and economy.
At present, graphene stands as the most revolutionary nanotechnological additive in the coatings and paints industry. The incorporation of graphene into coatings yields remarkable protection against corrosion. Graphene's inclusion creates intricate pathways that hinder the diffusion of water, oxygen molecules, and chemical agents to the surface of metal-based materials. This intrinsic property safeguards metals from oxidation and corrosion.
Graphene serves as an effective barrier between the metal and oxygen, leveraging its particulate size and surface area. Additionally, it reinforces the bond between the coating and the metal substrate, collectively forming a system that effectively thwarts water particles from reaching the metal surface. This multi-faceted approach of graphene integration, barrier creation, and surface bonding significantly enhances the coatings' ability to prevent corrosion.
Coatings reinforced with Aerofen Graphene Based Products provide many performance and anti-corrosion benefits, including:
Higher performance than existing coating technologies on the market today
Fewer applied coating layers are required for greater benefits
Zinc reduction in formulations
Chemical resistance
Graphene and graphene oxide-enhanced anticorrosive coatings will replace traditional zinc-based coatings, which have several drawbacks, such as short life, high content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), slow curing, high cost, sedimentation in storage.