Electrochemical Corrosion Method Research Articles

Experimental behaviour of hybrid carbon steel – stainless steel bolted connections subjected to electrochemical corrosion

To minimise cost in practical applications whilst still obtaining a satisfactory performance, stainless steel is often employed in aggressive marine environments to ensure the durability of the structure, whilst parts of the structure less susceptible to corrosion employ conventional carbon steel. When the two materials are in direct contact in the connection region, galvanic corrosion can occur over time thus leading to an increased level of corrosion of the less noble carbon steel parts and an associated degradation in the structural performance. A comprehensive experimental study on the shear behaviour of hybrid carbon steel – stainless steel bolted connections subjected to electrochemical corrosion is presented in this paper. A total of 30 bolted connection specimens were designed and assembled from hot-rolled carbon steel and stainless steel plates. Two bolt grades, the high strength bolts 10.9 and the precipitation hardening stainless steel bolts 10.9 were used to connect the plates. Employing the electrochemical corrosion method, the specimens were subjected to various levels of corrosion by adjusting the duration over which the specimens were sunk in the corrosive medium, which resulted in both different corrosion morphology as well as different levels of mass loss of the carbon steel plates due to corrosion. The corroded connection specimens were thereafter tested to failure under shear exhibiting 4 different failure modes. The load versus deformation curves were recorded and are reported herein, whilst the observed failure modes were also documented. It was revealed that increased level of corrosions led to decreased levels of bolt pretention forces and ultimate resistances of the connections, albeit the severity of the degradation strongly depended on the adopted joint configuration and resulting failure mode.

Corrosion behaviors of TA2 and TA36 titanium alloys in a high-sulfur environment

The mixed medium of sulfur, H2S, CO2, and generated water in the developed sour gas fields in Sichuan-Chongqing Gasfield seriously corrodes pipelines. The carbon steel gathering system is not suitable for transporting such a medium and titanium alloy has become a hotspot due to its high specific strength and excellent resistance to H2S corrosion. The corrosion of titanium and titanium alloys in the mixed media of H2S, CO2, and water has been extensively explored, but their electrochemical corrosion behaviors in the presence of elemental sulfur are not clear. In this study, the effects of temperature and sulfur on the corrosion behaviors and electrochemical behaviors of TA2 and TA36 in the simulated solution were studied with hanging tests and high-temperature and high-pressure electrochemical corrosion method and the corrosion morphology was observed with a scanning electron microscope. When the temperature increased from 60 °C to 90 °C, the self-corrosion current of TA36 alloy was decreased by one order of magnitude and the corrosion rate of TA36 decreased, indicating the improved corrosion resistance. At the same temperature, the self-corrosion current of TA36 alloy was 28.8 % of that of TA2 and the corrosion resistance of TA36 alloy was better than that of TA2. Sulfur deposition accelerated the pitting corrosion of TA2 and TA36.

Изменение структуры, механических и коррозионных свойств сплава системы Mg–Zn–Zr, подвергнутого равноканальному угловому прессованию

Magnesium alloys are considered promising materials for the production of bioresorbable implants. Their main disadvantages are low strength and corrosion resistance in biological environment. In the work, the authors studied the effect of severe plastic deformation using the equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) method on the structure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of the Mg–8.6Zn–1.2Zr magnesium alloy. It was identified that one ECAP cycle at 400 °C leads to a substantial hardening of the Mg–8.6Zn–1.2Zr alloy by ~10 %, up to 330 MPa. Structural studies showed that dynamic recrystallisation plays a significant role in the structure transformation. ECAP leads to the formation of a bimodal structure with large deformed grains with an average transverse size of 20±4 µm and recrystallised grains with an average transverse size of 6±2 µm. It was found that with a decrease in the strain temperature up to 250 °С, the process of deformation-induced decay of the supersaturated solid solution takes place. Electrical conductivity of a sample after ECAP at 400 °C amounted 29±2 % according to the International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS), while second ECAP cycles lead to an increase in the electrical conductivity up to 32±2 % IACS. Using the electrochemical corrosion method, the authors found that one ECAP cycle at 400 °C leads to a slight decrease in the corrosion resistance of the alloy under study compared to the initial state. The study showed that the corrosion current increases from 24 to 32 µA/cm2, while the subsequent ECAP cycle at 250 °С increases the corrosion current more than twice (up to 57 µA/cm2).

Quantitative method for evaluating corrosion defects and residual bearing capacity of bridge structural steel via MMM technique

The quantitative assessment of corrosion defects and residual bearing capacity is essential to ensure the safe operation of bridge steel structures. In this study, Q345qD steel was selected as the research object, and specimens with different corrosion levels were prepared using the electrochemical corrosion method. Metal magnetic memory (MMM) detection experiments and uniaxial tensile experiments on corroded steel plates were performed. A three-dimensional magnetic charge model of a corroded steel plate considering the end effect was built to explain the variation of the MMM signals. The finite element simulation results of the corroded steel plates were consistent with the experimental and theoretical results. Based on experimental and finite element data, the quantitative relationship between the corrosion depth h and the magnetic characteristic parameter Hn(z) is established with a relative error within 15 %. A quantitative relationship between the nominal tensile strength σu and the magnetic characteristic parameter Hn(z) is proposed with an evaluation accuracy within ±5 MPa. It is suggested that the proposed evaluation method is feasible in quantitatively evaluating the defects and residual tensile strength of corroded steel plates using the MMM technique.

Study on low-cycle hysteresis properties of seawater corroded steel considering loading history effects

To investigate the combined effects of wave loading history and time-dependent corrosion damage on the hysteresis mechanical properties of long-term serviced marine engineering materials, this study conducted hysteresis mechanical experiments and a generalized mechanical model research on corroded steel, considering the influence of high-cycle loading history. Steel corrosion was pre-generated by accelerated electrochemical corrosion method. Developing the early-stage high-cycle fatigue loading system and later-stage low-cycle hysteresis loading system based on the dynamic characteristics of wave loads, seismic actions, and typhoon-level pulsating wind loads. Analyze the influence of the independent and combined effects of early-stage load stress levels, cycle times, and corrosion damage on the steel capacity to withstand low-cycle high-stress hysteresis loading. Based on test results and mechanical properties, an improved generalized hysteresis mechanical model was established that encompassed monotonic tension curves, skeleton curves, and well-defined loading and unloading rules. The validity and universality of the model were verified through various loading systems and hysteretic tests of corroded steel. The results indicated that the early-stage high-cycle fatigue history led to a reduction in the material's elastic range, causing the material to transition into plasticity earlier. The combined effects of early-stage loading history and corrosion damage resulted in a significant degradation of the material's hysteresis mechanical properties.

Study on corrosion behavior of Ni–P/Ni–Cu–P superhydrophobic composite coatings preparation on L360 steel by two-step method

The two-step process of electroless plating and electrodeposition was used to successfully prepare a bilayer composite film by electroplating a Ni–Cu–P film with hydrophobic properties on the Ni–P film. The histological features of the two membrane layers were compared. The L360 pipeline steel, Ni–P coating and Ni–Cu–P composite film were evaluated by electrochemical test and erosion corrosion method. Under simulated seawater conditions, the material properties changed before and after different periods of service. The experimental results show that the introduction of Cu can inhibit the growth of cellular structures on the surface of the coating, increase the number of nucleation points, and improve the microstructure of the coating during the deposition of Ni–Cu–P films. The Ni–P/Ni–Cu–P bilayer composite film has a pinecone-like convex structure, which can greatly reduce the surface energy of the film layer and endow the film layer with hydrophobicity. At the same time, it effectively resists the adsorption of water and other external impurities on its surface, and has good anti-fouling performance, thereby slowing down the surface corrosion and improving corrosion resistance. In addition, copper enables the composite coating to have passivation and a uniform and dense coating structure, which is the main reason for the improvement of the corrosion protection performance of the composite coating. The protective effect of the coating can effectively improve the electrochemical resistance and erosion resistance of L360. The Ni–P/Ni–Cu–P bilayer composite film reduces the electrochemical corrosion rate of the substrate from 0.417mmpY to 0.025mmpY, and the scouring weight loss rate of the film decreases to 0.05% of the substrate.

Effect of mineral additives on the adherence strength of reinforced concrete with increased corrosion resistance

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the corrosion resistance of steel reinforcement in concrete samples containing modifying additives using an accelerated electrochemical corrosion method. It was found that the adhesion strength between the reinforcement and the cement stone of concrete largely depends on the corrosion resistance of the reinforcement in concrete. At the same time, the best result from the tested concretes was shown by the developed concrete of optimal composition, in which the adhesion strength between concrete and reinforcement is 1.7 times higher than that of control concrete without mineral additives. The obtained results can be explained by the fact that an increase in the density of concrete due to the modification of its structure with organo-mineral additives leads not only to an increase in its strength, but also to a better protection of steel reinforcement in concrete from corrosion. This will help to increase the durability of reinforced concrete structures of offshore hydraulic structures in Vietnam and increase the period of their maintenance-free operation.

Electrochemical one-step synthesis of Mn3O4 with tunable oxygen defects for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Manganese-based oxides have been widely studied as promising aqueous zinc-ion battery cathodes. However, the development of manganese oxides still faces great challenges due to rapid capacity decline and sluggish reaction kinetics. Oxygen-defect manganese oxides cathodes can improve electrochemical activity and inherent stability by changing the bulk electronic structure and the surface properties. In this work, oxygen-defect Mn3O4 nanosheets were synthesized by a facile electrochemical corrosion method, and the concentrations of oxygen vacancies were controlled by adjusting alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) superimposed power supply. The oxygen vacancy concentration impacted the electrochemical performance of the Mn3O4 cathodes. The aqueous zinc-ion battery with Mn3O4 cathode with the optimal oxygen vacancy concentration exhibited a high specific capacity (456 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1) and long-cycle stability with high reversible capacity (94 % retained after 2000 cycles at 1.0 A g−1). Furthermore, the conversion mechanism with complex phase transformations was explored by ex-situ characterization after the charge/discharge cycling, indicating the co-insertion of H+ and Zn2+ in the Mn3O4 electrode.

Oxygen vacancy-rich Fe3O4 nanoparticle synthesized via facile electrochemical method as anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Oxygen vacancies (Ov), which are internal defects of metal oxides, can effectively alter intrinsic properties of materials. Developing an anode material containing Ovs applied in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) was hypothesized to enhance their electrochemical performance, which has currently attracted extensive attention. Herein, we successfully synthesized three groups of Fe3O4 nanoparticles with different Ov concentrations by a facile and controllable electrochemical oxidation corrosion method. First, density functional theory was applied to predict the Li-ion storage performance and electronic properties of pristine Fe3O4 and the synthesized different Ov-content Fe3O4 materials. When used as an anode material in LIBs, all the three as-prepared Ov-rich Fe3O4 electrodes possessed excellent cycling performance and high reversibility. After 330 cycles, the reversible capacity achieved 745 mAh g−1, 921 mAh g−1, and 850 mAh g−1, respectively. Ovs in the Fe3O4 not only promote high electronic conductivity in the materials, but also afford additional active sites for lithiation and delithiation, further enhancing the electrochemical performance. However, excessive Ovs are not conducive to the improvement of lithium storage capacity. Theoretical predictions and experimental results are consistent with each other. This work has great importance in the direction of oxygen defect applications in the field of LIBs.

Experimental study on the flexural behaviour of corroded concrete beams reinforced with hybrid steel/GFRP bars

The high strength, corrosion resistant, and nonmagnetic characteristics of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars make these bars suitable for use as reinforcement in concrete structures exposed to aggressive environments. This article presents an experimental study on the flexural behaviour of hybrid (SGFRP) concrete beams reinforced with steel and GFRP bars. Six concrete beams measuring 150 × 200 × 2200 mm were fabricated, two of which were normal reinforced concrete (RC) beams and four of which were reinforced with either a hybrid combination of steel and GFRP bars or GFRP bars only. An accelerated corrosion test using the electro-chemical corrosion method was conducted on the RC and hybrid beams until cracks appeared on the beam surface due to steel bar corrosion. Subsequently, a four-point bending test was conducted on the corroded beams until point of failure to assess the flexural behaviour of the corroded SGFRP concrete beams. The experimental results demonstrate that corroded and non-corroded SGFRP beams exhibit similar flexural behaviour and highlight the role of GFRP bars in distributing flexural cracks and in increasing beam load-bearing capacity. In addition, a simple model was proposed based on the obtained experimental results to predict the load-carrying capacities and load–deflection curves of corroded SGFRP concrete beams.

Amorphous nickel borate nanosheets as cathode material with high capacity and better cycling performance for zinc ion battery

Zinc-ion batteries are under current research focus because of their uniqueness in low cost and high safety. However, the pursuing of high-performance cathode materials of aqueous Zinc ion batteries (AZBs) with low cost, high energy density and long cycle life has become the key problem to be solved. Herein we synthesized a series of amorphous nickel borate (AM-NiBO) nanosheets by varying corrosion time with in-situ electrochemical corrosion method. The AM-NiBO-T13 as electrode material possesses a high areal capacity of 0.65 mAh/cm2 with the capacity retention of 95.1% after 2000 cycles. In addition, the assembled AM-NiBO-T13//Zn provides high energy density (0.77 mWh/cm2 at 1.76 mW/cm2). The high areal capacity and better cycling performance can be owing to the amorphous nanosheets structure and the stable coordination characteristics of boron and oxygen in borate materials. It shows that amorphous nickel borate nanosheets have great prospects in the field of energy storage.

Mechanical properties of steel plate compression joint under seawater corrosion and welding

ABSTRACT Seawater corrosion and welding can together cause significant damage to marine structures, thereby deteriorating the mechanical properties of steel and the bearing and deformation capacities of the overall structure. Therefore, in this paper, the electrochemical corrosion method was used to simulate the actual seawater corrosion, and the corrosion distribution characteristics and compressive mechanical properties of D36 steel plate welded joints in seawater were studied. Through scanning electron microscopy, we analysed the influence of welding and corrosion, that is, the different weld angles and degree of corrosion on the damage distribution of welded joints. The bearing and deformation capacities of the structure, as well as the failure mode and failure position of the structure are determined. Finally, through a quadratic regression analysis, the experimental results were used to develop a generalized constitutive model of corroded and welded damaged steel with corrosion degree and weld angles as the variables.

Effects of Ni and Co on the Corrosion Resistance of Al-Si-Cu-Zn-Fe Alloys in NaCl Solution

The corrosion behavior of Fe-containing directionally solidified (DS) and centrifugally cast (CC) Al-Si-Cu-Zn alloys with either Co or Ni additions has been investigated. Electrochemical and immersion corrosion methods were used to investigate the corrosion behavior in 0.6 M NaCl after short (1-h) and long (30-day) exposure periods. The employed solidification methods allowed the production of samples with a wide range of secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) while preserving Si and Fe-containing phases. The 0.5 wt.% Ni and Co additions led to the growth of the AlFeSi(Ni) and AlFeSi(Co) phases, but no binary AlNi nor AlCo intermetallic particles have been generated. Potentiodynamic polarization studies at early exposure revealed an increase in the corrosion potential as the Ni was added for either fast or slow solidified samples. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at early exposure demonstrated that the Ni-modified alloy, on the other hand, was associated with smaller charge transfer resistances, indicating a reduction in the corrosion resistance after a short elapsed time into the electrolyte. However, the 30-day immersion tests revealed much lower corrosion rate of the Ni-modified alloy than the other alloys, while the corrosion rates of the Co-modified and non-modified alloys were similar. In the Ni-containing alloy, a decreased corrosion rate under a long-term corrosion process was attributed to the formation of a thick and dense alumina layer, effectively protecting the surface under such conditions. This work contributes to better knowledge of the corrosion behavior of Ni- and Co-corrected Al industrial scrap compositions.

The effect of corrosion on the hysteresis properties of welded steel

ABSTRACT To study the effect of corrosion on the mechanical properties of welded steel hysteresis, a cyclic load test was performed on corroded welded steel. Accordingly, a generalised hysteretic mechanical model of welded steel with the corrosion degree as a variable was established. Taking a D36 steel plate fabricated via manual arc welding as the research object, specimens were prepared using the accelerated electrochemical corrosion method. Mechanical performance experiments under tension, compression, and multiple cyclic loading systems were conducted on specimens, the hysteretic mechanical properties of welded steel were mostly concerned. On that base, a generalised hysteretic material model for welded-corroded steel which consists of a skeleton curve, an unloading curve and a reloading curve is proposed. All the parameters used to describe these curves are related to the degree of corrosion, determined by the regression on the test data. The accuracy and effectiveness of the model were verified experimentally.

Seismic behavior and damage evolution of corroded RC columns designed for bending failure in an artificial climate

Several past studies have shown that artificial climate simulation techniques can address obstacles in electrochemical corrosion methods. However, few experimental studies have investigated the seismic behavior of corroded reinforced concrete (RC) columns in an artificial climate. Therefore, in this study, seven corroded RC column specimens that experienced bending failure were subjected to pseudostatic tests after artificial climate accelerated corrosion tests. The variable parameters of the specimens were the corrosion degree of the reinforcement and axial compression ratio. The seismic behavior of the columns corresponding to corrosion-induced cracks, corrosion morphology of the steel bars, failure process, hysteretic behavior, skeleton curve, ductility, stiffness, energy dissipation capacity and flexural performance were investigated. Based on the test results, a two-parameter damage model was established to evaluate the damage evolution of the corroded RC columns. The results of the test and analysis revealed that the surface characteristics of corroded steel bars under the artificial climate were similar to those in the natural environment. The corrosion ratio of the reinforcement at the RC column edge was higher than that at the middle region of the specimen. As the corrosion degree increased, the seismic behavior of the specimen deteriorated continuously. As the axial compression ratio increased, the bearing capacity and bending bearing capacity initially increased and then decreased since the failure pattern of the columns changed from large eccentric compression failure to small eccentric compression failure. The corrosion and axial compression ratio accelerated the damage development of the RC columns. The proposed damage model accorded with the experimental phenomena before yielding and under the ultimate state, but underestimated the damage between the yield state and the peak state.

Enhanced thermal transport and corrosion resistance by coating vertically-aligned graphene on zirconium alloy for nuclear reactor applications

Owing to the requirement of higher efficiency, safety reliability and lower maintenance cost for nuclear reactors, the performance improvement of zirconium (Zr) alloy cladding coating materials is becoming increasingly significant. Graphene, with its inherent properties like ultrahigh thermal conductivity, excellent chemical stability, and super-hydrophobicity, has demonstrated enormous potential in the field of corrosion prevention and thermal management, indicating its promising application in cladding materials. Herein, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) was employed for growing vertically-aligned graphene (VG) array on Zr alloy (ZA) substrates. In the deposition process, C2H4 gas was introduced into the reactor as the carbon source and the reactor was kept at a growth temperature range of 650–800 °C, which is 300–400 °C lower than that for traditional graphene synthesis using thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The effects of other growth experimental parameters such as gas flow ratio, radio-frequency power (RF-power), growth temperature, reaction pressure and deposition time were systematically investigated. The corrosion resistance and thermal transport performance of vertical graphene enhanced Zr alloy (VGZA) were studied by using electrochemical corrosion method and heat dissipation test system. The results showed that the samples loaded with vertical graphene could effectively improve the corrosion resistance and heat transport property.

Experimental study on the compressive behavior of concrete filled steel tubular columns with regional corrosion

For concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) columns located in water, corrosion rate of the region near the water surface is significantly higher than other parts above and below the water surface, which introduces regional corrosion in the steel tube. In this paper, experimental parametric study was carried out to investigate the influence of this kind of regional corrosion on the maximum axial strength of CFST columns using extremely low strength concrete. The electrochemical corrosion method was used to simulate the onsite regional corrosion. 21 CFST column specimens, with different diameter-thickness ratios and corrosion levels (in both thickness and height directions), were tested under uniaxial compression. Test results showed that the failure mode was local outward buckling of steel tube and concrete crushing near the corrosion. Axial strength and stiffness were affected by both thickness corrosion ratio and height corrosion ratio, with thickness corrosion ratio being dominant. With consideration of the influence of different corrosion levels, a method for predicting the maximum axial strength of CFST columns with regional corrosion was proposed, which agreed well with test results.

Investigation of Different Electrochemical Corrosion Treatments on Bipolar Plates for High and Low Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Application

Bipolar plates (BPP) play an important role in a fuel cell system.1 They take on several tasks, such as distributing the reactants homogeneously over the active membrane-electrode-assembly surface, electrical and thermal conductivity and preventing leakages.1-2 The aim of this present research is to investigate the corrosion behaviour of BPP materials for high and low temperature (HT and LT) polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications. For this study BPP materials were investigated by different electrochemical corrosion methods using a three-electrode cell setup shown in figure 1. The three-electrode cell setup was utilised for bipolar plates corrosion at the DLR institute before.3 As working electrode a BPP sample with an active area of 1 cm2, as counter electrode a carbon-rod and as reference electrode a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) was used. To investigate the electrochemical stability of the BPP for use in HT- and LT-PEMFC potentiostatic conditions such as open circuit, anodic and cathodic potentials were recorded in conc. (~14.6 M) phosphoric acid (PA) and 0.5 M sulfuric acid, respectively. Cyclic voltammograms (CV) were plotted before and after the above mentioned potentiostatic treatments to evaluate the oxidation resistance behaviour of the BPP. Due to stability limitations of the set-up, the electrochemical measurements were carried out at room temperature. Therefore BPP for use in HT-PEMFC were chemical aged at 160 °C in conc. PA before electrochemical corrosion treatments to achieve good agreement with HT-PEMFC conditions. Figure 2 shows an example of the CVs of pristine, after chemical and electrochemical aged BPP for use in HT-PEMFC. Typical quinone/hydroquinone peaks can be observed between 0.6 and 0.7 VRHE. The double layer capacitance is increasing after each aging step which can be explained by the oxidation of carbon surface leading to BPP corrosion. Further investigations with methods like scanning electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, µ-computed tomography and titration will be shown to correlate surface area changes and acid uptake with corrosion measurement results. References Hermann, A.; Chaudhuri, T.; Spagnol, P., Bipolar plates for PEM fuel cells: A review. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2005, 30, 1297-1302. Antunes, R. A.; de Oliveira, M. C. L.; Ett, G.; Ett, V., Carbon materials in composite bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: A review of the main challenges to improve electrical performance. J. Power Sources 2011, 196 (6), 2945-2961. Pilinski, N.; Käding, C.; Dushina, A.; Hickmann, T.; Dyck, A.; Wagner, P., Investigation of Corrosion Methods for Bipolar Plates for High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Application. Energies (Open Access Journal) 2020, 13 (1), 235. Figure 1

Investigation of Different Electrochemical Corrosion Treatments on Bipolar Plates for High and Low Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Application

This present research focusses on the corrosion behavior of bipolar plate (BPP) materials for high and low temperature (HT and LT) polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications. BPP materials were investigated by different electrochemical corrosion methods using a three-electrode cell setup. Potentiostatic conditions were recorded in concentrated phosphoric acid (PA) and diluted sulfuric acid, respectively, to investigate the stability of BPP for use in HT- and LT-PEMFC. Cyclic voltammograms (CV) were plotted before and after the potentiostatic treatments to evaluate the oxidation resistance behavior of the BPP. Further investigations with methods like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal microscopy, µ-computed tomography (µ-CT) and titration will be shown to correlate surface area changes with corrosion measurement results.

Electrochemically Engineering Antimony Interspersed on Graphene toward Advanced Sodium-Storage Anodes.

Nanoengineering of metal anode materials shows great potential for energy storage with high capacity. Zero-dimensional nanoparticles are conducive to acquire remarkable electrochemical properties in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of their enlarged surface active sites. However, it is still difficult to fulfill the requirements of practical applications in batteries owing to the deficiency of efficient and scalable preparation approaches of high-performance metal electrode materials. Herein, an electrochemical cathodic corrosion method is proposed for the tunable preparation of nanostructured antimony (Sb) by the introduction of a surfactant, which can efficiently avoid the agglomeration of Sb atom clusters generated from the Zintl compound and further stacking into bulk during the electrochemical process. Subsequently, graphene as the support and conductive matrix is uniformly interspersed by generating Sb nanoparticles (Sb/Gr). Moreover, the reversible crystalline-phase evolution of Sb ⇋ NaSb ⇋Na3Sb for Sb/Gr was studied by in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD). Benefiting from the interconnection of the conductive network, Sb/Gr anodes deliver a high capacity of 635.34 mAh g-1, a retained capacity of 507.2 mAh g-1 after 150 cycles at 0.1 C (1 C = 660 mAh g-1), and excellent rate performance with the capacities of 473.41 and 405.09 mAh g-1 at 2 and 5 C, respectively. The superior cycle stability with a capacity of 346.26 mAh g-1 is achieved after 500 cycles at 2 C. This electrochemical approach offers a new route toward developing metal anodes with designed nanostructures for high-performance SIBs.