Electrochemical codeposition of graphene platelets and nickel for improved corrosion resistant properties

Abstract

A study on graphene platelet (GPL)/nickel (Ni) composites was carried out to evaluate the potential of the new coating materials for corrosion resistance applications. Electrochemical deposition of Ni and GPL/Ni coatings on mild steel was performed in electrolytes with concentrations of 0, 0.1 and 0.2 g L À1 GPLs.Microstructures of the deposited coatings were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy. A Raman microscope was used to characterize the GPLs in the GPL/Ni composite coatings. Average grain sizes of composite coatings estimated from XRD were compared with that of pure Ni coating. Corrosion resistant properties of the coatings were examined by electrochemical corrosion tests. It is found that GPLs are well dispersed in the Ni matrix and agglomeration of GPLs occurs during the deposition process. The introduction of GPLs results in a significant refinement of the microstructure of the Ni matrix and a decrease of the texture coefficient of the Ni matrix at the preferred orientation. GPL/Ni composite coatings exhibit better corrosion resistance and higher microhardness than the pure Ni coating. In addition, considerable improvements in corrosion resistance and microhardness can be achieved by introducing a relatively higher content of GPLs. The research results prove a novel approach to construct corrosion resistant coatings using GPLs.

Electrophoretic deposition of graphene-related materials: A review of the fundamentals

“…Some examples include the deposition of GO/chitosan films for drug release [53], CoFe 2 O 4 /rGO, Ni/GO and Sn nanoparticle/rGO films for energy storage [119][120][121], CdSe quantum dot/rGO for energy harvesting [122] and Ni-graphene layers for corrosion resistant coatings [123].…”

“…This increase in surface area makes EPD-processed GRM surfaces a good substrate for the nucleation and growth of metal nanoparticles [70,123,136,139,152], and also allows a better utilisation of the GRM surface area for applications such as supercapacitor electrodes [34].…”

Graphene Platelet (GPL)/Nickel (Ni) Laminate Coatings for Improved Surface Properties

“…It is widely known that graphene possesses a large specific surface area and is easy to agglomerate. Previous reports already show that the use of NMP along with an ultrasonication process is effective to disperse graphene platelets, and GPLs would be randomly distributed and oriented in the Ni matrix. During the electroforming, a current density of 2 A dm −2 was used and a temperature of 40 °C and a pH of between 3 and 4 were maintained.…”

“…Kyle et al studied the preparation of GPL/Ni composite coatings and the effect of GPLs on the hardness and corrosion resistance. They found that that GPL/Ni coatings have a much higher microhardness and better corrosion resistance than pure nickel coatings …”

Comparison of mechanical and corrosion properties of graphene monolayer on Ti–Al–V and nanometric Nb2O5 layer on Ti–Al–V alloy for dental implants applications

“…Studies have shown that a single graphene layer considerably increases the corrosion resistance of such systems as copper / graphene [37] and nickel / graphene [38,39] and protects the surfaces of those metals from oxidation [40].…”