Synergistic effect of nickel oxide and graphene in zinc-rich thermoplastic acrylic coatings for enhanced corrosion protection of carbon steel

In this study, the synergistic effect of nickel oxide and graphene in zinc-rich thermoplastic acrylic nanocomposite coatings was explored to enhance both sacrificial and barrier protection. Structural and morphological analyses were performed using AFM, SEM, TEM, XRD, and EDX, with using elemental mapping. TEM images indicated the uniform dispersion of nanoparticles in the resin structure. The anticorrosion and adhesion performance of the coatings was evaluated through immersion tests, OCP survey, EIS, and cross-cut adhesion. Results illustrated that the combined coating (1 wt% NiO + 1 wt% graphene) exhibited superior corrosion resistance, with prolonged cathodic protection and reduced surface degradation compared with coatings containing only NiO or no nanoparticles. This enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of spherical NiO nanoparticles and graphene nano sheets which improve the active cathodic protection and barrier properties by filling microstructural defects and hindering ion transport without decreasing electrical contact of zinc particles. The findings demonstrate that incorporating NiO and graphene into zinc-rich acrylic coatings is an effective strategy for achieving long-term anticorrosion protection.