Preparation of multilayer graphene coatings with interfacial bond to mild steel via covalent bonding for high performance anticorrosion and wear resistance

Abstract A simple route was developed to prepare graphene coating on mild steel balls (MS) by mechanical ball-milling. In order to facilitate the interface reaction, we introduce the Cr layer onto the MS surface (Cr/MS) through vacuum deposition. The graphene coatings were prepared by ball-milling on a buffer Cr/MS double-layered structure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated the graphene coatings were strongly bonded to the substrate with the help of Cr23C6. Raman mapping and STEM results showed that the graphene coating was continuous and homogeneous. The corrosion rate of graphene covered MS was only 0.016 mm year−1, which was much less than that of MS (1.02 mm year−1). The graphene coating can significantly improve the wear resistance, the coefficient of friction decreased from 0.225 to 0.18. The present study shed light on a promising strategy for the development of graphene coatings on MS.