Hybrid graphene oxide decoration and water-based polymers for mild steel surface protection in saline environment

Abstract Nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorous atoms were chemically introduced to graphene oxide nanostructure (NSP-GO) to construct a corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The anticorrosive effects of NSP-GO on two synthesized water-soluble polymeric compounds, melamine formaldehyde (MF) and urea formaldehyde (UF), were investigated in the saline environment. With NSP-GO, the inhibition efficiency of 93% (for UF) and 95% (MF) reached to ˜100% for both composites at 500 ppm concentration. The heteroatoms of decorated GO sheets act like anchors to pull GO sheets towards the metal surface and make MF and UF polymers films as full protectors.