Anti-corrosion performance of vinyl ester resin films with titanium dioxide and graphene hybrid reinforcement

The present investigation addresses the development of vinyl ester resin (VER) by exfoliating titanium dioxide (TiO2) and graphene (G) in polymeric resin for anticorrosion applications on carbon steel (CS) substrates with different additive fillers (TiO2 3 wt%, G 2 wt%, and TiO2 3 wt% + G 2 wt%). The purpose of the study was to investigate structure, chemical bonding, adhesion, and corrosion. VER was prepared by triggering methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) and an accelerator of cobalt naphthalate. The dip-coating method of VER composite films was fabricated on CS substrate with film thicknesses between 70 and 100 µm. The additive-polymer chemical bonding, morphologies and microstructure have been analysed by the techniques of Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and adhesion test were used to examine the anti-corrosion behaviour and performance. The blending of the additive fillers led to cobalt dispersion, crystallinity and corrosion resistance due to the development of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) inside the VER films. TiO2 and G hybrid reinforcements in VER enhance corrosion resistance and film adhesion.