Effect of graphene oxide loading on plasma sprayed alumina-graphene oxide composites for improved anticorrosive and hydrophobic surface

Alumina is a widely used anticorrosive coating material for protection of metal surfaces. The graphene oxide (GO)-alumina composite coatings can enhance the anticorrosion property of carbon steel surfaces used in an industrial scale. In the present work, the spray dried graphene oxide nanoplatelets of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 wt% reinforced alumina (alpha-Al2O3) were deposited on the low carbon steel substrate by Atmospheric Plasma Spray (APS) technique. The GO-alumina nanocomposite coatings are characterised using XRD, FE-SEM, HR-TEM and Raman Spectroscopy. The electrochemical corrosion behaviour of the coatings on carbon steel has been examined using three electrode electrochemical method in 3.5 wt% NaCl electrolyte. A remarkable improvement in the corrosion resistance (with a corrosion current density of 0.01 nAcm(-2)) of about six orders with respect to pristine alumina was observed. The wettability tests revealed that, with 1.5 and 2 wt% graphene oxide nanoplatelets addition, the surface coating turned out to be hydrophobic with contact angle of 127 degrees, from hydrophilic with contact angle 36 degrees, which complements the anticorrosion results. The in situ reduction of GO to r-GO by APS deposition and bridging of alumina splats by the GO sheets accounts for observing the superior performance of the composite coatings.