Study on the properties of a novel electrostatic conductive and anti-corrosive composite coating improved by graphene nanosheets

Abstract As for oil containing facilities, the problem of electric charge accumulation is harmful, and effective measures should be taken to solve it. Coatings are widely used as a common technology for anti-corrosion and electrostatic conduction. In this paper, Antimony Tin Oxide powder (ATO) and graphene (G) nanosheets were introduced to prepare a novel electrostatic conductive and anti-corrosive composite epoxy coating for the protection of oil deposit tanks and oil transfer pipelines. The feature of ATO and G nanosheets dispersed in the coating was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. At the same time, the electrical conductivity and anti-corrosion properties of coatings were studied by surface resistivity tester and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that the surface resistivity of the composite coating was improved 10 times by introducing an appropriate amount of graphene and ATO, and exhibited excellent corrosion resistance, high impedance modulus during 144 days of soaking, while epoxy coating failure after 87 days of soaking. The differential effects of ATO and G were compared and discussed.