A comprehensive investigation of oxygen/graphite carbon nitride smart Nano coatings for sustainable maintenance and sacrificial anode protection of mild steel
BACKGROUND
This study enhancing the corrosion resistance of mild steel (MS) by incorporating photo-catalyst-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) nano-sheets containing silver (Ag) and oxygen (O₂) into a solar light-active photoelectrochemical anticorrosion paint with polyester (PE). The objective is to provide sacrificial anode protection through visible light activation.
RESULTS
The developed paint forms a uniform film on the MS surface, effectively providing anodic protection under visible light. Characterization techniques, including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV–Vis spectroscopy, confirm the molecular structure of the nano-sheets. Corrosion resistance, assessed through weight loss measurements and open circuit potential (OCP) tests, shows significant improvement with the addition of Ag/g-C₃N₄ and Ag-O₂/g-C₃N₄ nano-sheets at an optimized concentration of 15 mg. The protection efficiency is ranked as follows: O₂-g/C₃N₄ > O-g/C₃N₄ > Ag-O₂/g-C₃N₄ > Ag-g/C₃N₄ > g-C₃N₄. After 28 days of immersion in seawater, MS coated with O₂/g-C₃N₄ exhibited the least weight loss, with an inhibition efficiency of up to 99%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) further demonstrated enhanced coating resistance for the O₂/g-C₃N₄ coating (Rct = 3.76 kΩ.cm2, Rcoat = 1.69 kΩ.cm2) compared to pure PE (Rct = 0.005 kΩ.cm2, Rcoat = 0.096 kΩ.cm2).
期刊介绍:
Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology(JCTB) is an international, inter-disciplinary peer-reviewed journal concerned with the application of scientific discoveries and advancements in chemical and biological technology that aim towards economically and environmentally sustainable industrial processes.