Effect of functionalized graphene oxide concentration on the corrosion resistance properties provided by cataphoretic acrylic coatings

In this work, functionalized graphene oxide (fGO) flakes have been added into an acrylic cataphoretic bath, studying the effect of fGO different concentration on the properties of the coatings deposited on carbon steel substrate. The samples were characterized by optical and electron microscopy, analyzing the distribution of the fGO flakes within the polymer matrix. The corrosion resistance properties were evaluated by salt spray chamber exposure and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Finally, coatings’ conductivity was measured, in order to study the barrier effect performed by the flakes. The optimized fGO concentration, equal to 0.2 wt%, greatly increase the coating resistance in the aggressive environment.