Thermal and Electrochemical Studies of PANI-Graphene Nanocomposite on Mild Steel in Acidic Media

In present study, Epoxy-coated polyaniline-graphene nanocomposites (PGNCs) were synthesized via in situ polymerization to investigate their thermal stability and electrochemical performance as protective coatings on mild steel in acidic environments. The PGNCs were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). To evaluate their anticorrosive performance, the synthesized PGNCs were incorporated into an epoxy matrix composed of araldite resin and a hardener. Various concentrations of PGNC were uniformly dispersed in a fixed volume of the epoxy system using a mechanical mixing method. The resulting epoxy nanocomposite coatings were then applied onto mild steel substrates and exposed to acidic media. Corrosion protection efficiency was assessed using electrochemical measurements performed with an electrochemical workstation.