An efficient and eco-friendly anti-corrosive system based on Beeswax-Graphene oxide nanocomposites on mild steel in saline medium

The primary objective of the present work is to develop an eco-friendly effective corrosion-resistant coating on mild steel using beeswax (BW). The effect of graphene oxide (GO) nanofillers on the corrosion protection performance of BW on mild steel was studied. Nanocomposite coatings were prepared by incorporating different wt. % GO (0.05, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5), into the BW matrix. The prepared nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Raman Spectroscopy. All coatings were done using the dip-coating method and the surface properties of the coated samples were analyzed using Contact angle, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Barrier and corrosion protection performance of the coated samples were monitored using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization methods in 3.5% NaCl medium. The results of the study brought out that the addition of GO into the BW matrix enhances the coating barrier performance and makes the electrolyte penetration pathway longer and more circuitous due to its high surface area. The amount of GO in the coating matrix also has a greater influence in improving the corrosion resistance of BW coatings. Among nanocomposites with different GO wt.%, coatings prepared via the addition of 0.1 wt.% GO to BW matrix show outstanding barrier properties and superior corrosion protection under NaCl electrolyte. The corrosion rate of Pure BW coating was reduced to 470 fold after the introduction of 0.1 wt.% of GO