Hybrid rGOTiO Reinforced Nickel Coatings for Durable Corrosion Protection of Mild Steel

The present paper has effectively fabricated Ni/rGO/TiO2 nanocomposites coating on mild steel through electrodeposition in order to improve corrosion resistance of mild steel against organic acid conditions. XRD, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, and EDX were used to examine the structural and morphological features of rGO, TiO2 nanoparticles, rGO/TiO2 composites, which supported the formation of crystalline anatase TiO2 which was evenly dispersed on rGO sheets. Tafel polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were systematically used to assess the corrosion behavior of bare mild steel, Ni-coated, and Ni/rGO/TiO2 coated samples in 0.06 M of citric acid and different concentrations of citric acid. Findings indicated that the Ni-20.25 wt.% rGO/TiO2 coating deposited at the current density of 8 mA cm-1 had minimum corrosion current density and maximum charge transfer resistance. The enhanced performance is explained by the homogeneous distribution of rGO/TiO2 in the Ni matrix, which offers better protection to the barriers and lower diffusion of the electrolyte. The paper explains the possibilities of Ni/rGO/TiO2 nanocomposites coating in terms of industrial applications in the field of corrosion protection.