Electrochemical characterization of fluoropolymers and aromatic compounds for corrosion protection applications

The consequences of corrosion are extremely costly and troublesome. In manufacturing companies, for instance, corrosion is considered a chronic problem that causes sudden disruptions in many segments of operation including processing, production, transportation, and containment of commodity products. Protection against corrosion is, therefore, important, as it helps achieve service life extension for metals and reduction in corrosion-related costs. Risk reduction for catastrophic structural failures and accident prevention can also be realized. Broader application of protective coatings and corrosion inhibiting agents remains one of the best technical practices in minimizing the effects of corrosion. This study introduces different classes of polymers and organic compounds and their potential use as new groups of corrosion preventing materials. Firstly, the use of semiluorinated perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) aromatic ether polymers as coatings for corrosion prevention was examined. PFCB polymers share several important characteristics with commercial fluoropolymers including chemical resistance, thermal stability, mechanical strength, and low surface energy, but with enhanced processability. Secondly, the use of very small amounts of azole-based aromatic compounds was shown to effectively inhibit corrosion in acidic medium. Compared to other inhibitor agents, these compounds have the advantage of being less complex, inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and synthesized in a one-step approach. Thirdly, the use of a tetradiglycidyl-ether-based epoxy-amine resin as corrosion resistant coating was investigated both in its intact and artificially-damaged forms. This epoxy resin, which can be infused with preform materials, has been used in the development of carbon fiber composites for aircraft applications. Finally, the capability of a superhydrophobic perfluorinated polymer nanocomposite coating to resist corrosion was evaluated. The coating also displayed superoleophilicity, which led to its additional use in separating oil-water mixtures. Standard electrochemical methods such as open circuit potential, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and potentiodynamic polarization were used to evaluate the corrosion protection performance. Several other analytical techniques were also employed to characterize the quality and structure of the protective materials and supplement the results acquired from electrochemical analyses