Solution combustion synthesis of rGO-Fe2O3 hybrid nanofiller for linseed oil based eco-friendly anticorrosion coating

Abstract The synthesis of graphene based composite materials by simple environment friendly method is of prime importance. So, we report the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide-iron oxide (rGO-Fe2O3) nanocomposite by the solution combustion method. The rGO-Fe2O3 is employed as a nanofiller material in epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) based anti-corrosion coating. To ensure environmental sustainability, the curing agent for ELO resin is also prepared by using linseed oil. The synthesized rGO-Fe2O3, resins, and curing agent were well characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) techniques. The mild steel coupons coated with the nanocomposite were analyzed for their stability and anti-corrosion behavior using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), water contact angle, and electrochemical studies. Electrochemical impedance data showed that the ELO-rGO-Fe2O3 coating showed a very large Rc value (8.874 ×107 Ω cm2) and significantly low capacitance (3.63 ×10−10 F cm2) when compared to ELO coating, indicating its excellent corrosion resistivity. Further, corrosion protection ability was observed up to 44 days in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The results indicate that the rGO-Fe2O3-ELO composite coating acts as a durable and sustainable substitute for petroleum-based coating and can find potential applications in coating industries.