Electrodeposition of silane/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite on AA2024-T3 alloy with enhanced corrosion protection, chemical and mechanical stability

Abstract

Hydrophobic silane/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites were successfully constructed on an AA2024-T3 aluminum alloy surface using a facile co-electrodeposition process. The composition and morphology were characterized by ATR-FTIR, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, EDX, XPS and SEM. The results revealed that the implanted GO nanosheets were partially reduced and successfully covalently bonded with silanol groups to fabricate a more compact and denser coating. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the electrodeposited silane/rGO nanocomposite markedly decreased the corrosion rate of the AA2024-T3 alloy in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The protection efficiency was maintained over 96% after 120 h of exposure, presenting excellent chemical stability. Meanwhile, a sand paper abrasion test was performed to evaluate the mechanical robustness and the contact angle was reduced by only 4.5° after 150 abrasion cycles. The excellent anti-corrosion property and mechanical robustness, along with the feasible electrodeposition procedure, show its great potential for industrial applications.