Eco-friendly UV-curable graphene oxide/fluorinated polyurethane acrylate nanocomposite coating with outstanding anticorrosive performance

Abstract

This study presents a novel method to create a UV-curable nanocomposite coating composed of fluorinated polyurethane acrylate (FPUA) and modified graphene oxide (MGO) with exceptional corrosion resistance. The graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were chemically modified with methacryloxy propyl trimethoxy silane to improve their dispersibility and interactions with the FPUA resin, which was used as the matrix of the prepared coatings. The modification was verified by various techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Different amounts of MGO were added to the FPUA resin to prepare the UV-curable coatings. The physicochemical interactions between the MGO and the binder were investigated by measuring the gel contents, adhesion strength, and thermal stability of the coatings. The corrosion resistance of the nanocomposite was assessed by different methods, and the results showed that adding 2 wt% MGO reduced the film porosity by more than six orders of magnitude. The results also indicated a significant improvement in the resistance to ionic current and charge transfer due to the good dispersion, barrier properties, and strong bonding of the MGO with the polymer matrix. Nevertheless, the excessive loading of MGO could potentially harm the anticorrosion properties of the coating by forming aggregates and corrosive elements diffusion routes. The obtained results revealed that the prepared UV-curable nanocomposite coatings could open up a new avenue for designing anticorrosive nanocomposite coatings based on graphite derivatives. © 2023