Exploring the potential of guarana nanoencapsulation as an enhancement for corrosion resistance in electrodeposited zinc coatings

Particles obtained from plant products have attractive characteristics because they are obtained from a renewable source, are non-polluting, and they are relatively low cost when compared to ceramic nanoparticles. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding particles of guarana seed extract encapsulated with organic products containing Brazil nut oil (GSE particles) on the characteristics of a Zinc coating. 1020 carbon steel plate was used as substrate. The morphology and structure of the coatings were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, and confocal microscopy. The corrosion resistance was evaluated in 0.5 M NaCl solution through potentiodynamic polarization and EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) measurements. The effect of the addition of GSE particles on the current efficiency was also investigated. The effect of adding different concentrations of GSE particles (0 % v/v, 0.5 % v/v, 1.0 % v/v, 3 %v/v and 4 % v/v) was analyzed and it was found that the addition of particles up to a concentration of 3 % v/v increases corrosion resistance and current efficiency. Among these results, the concentration of 0.5 % v/v of GSE particles emerged as the most effective as it has a significant effect on achieving a more compact coating with less roughness.