Conductive Polyurethane with Different Carbon Filler Nanocomposites for Anticorrosion

Application

Daowei Ding, Huige Wei, Qingliang He, T. C. Ho, Suying Wei and Zhanhu Guo

In this poster, conductive polyurethane (PU) nanocomposite coatings filled with different carbon fillfer (carbon nanotube, graphene platelets) prepared via an in situ surface-initiated- polymerization method were evaluated for anticorrosion purpose. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed uniformly dispersed nanoparticles in the PU matrix. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed an enhanced thermal stability of the composite as compared to pure PU. The extendable mechanic property was reinforced by the carbon fillers. The conductivity decreased with increasing the carbon fillers loadings. The anticorrosion tests indicated that the composite coatings obtained a good chemical stability after a long immersion time in the corrosive aqueous solution. A significantly positive shift in the open current potential, Eocp, was observed from the Eocp-time curve of carbon fillers in PU composite-coated metal electrode. Extrapolation of Tafel plots gave a much more positive corrosion potential (Ecorr) and much lower corrosion current (Icorr). A protection efficiency as high as around 97.0 % was observed. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was conducted as well to investigate and obtain the anticorrosion mechanism of the composite coating. An equivalent circuit of the coating was proposed to fit the EIS data, confirming an effective corrosion protection for the metal. The results indicated that the polyurethane matrix combined with the well dispersed carbon fillers reinforcements provides an effective physical barrier against the attack of corrosive factors in the solution for the protected metals.
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