Enhancing Anticorrosive Characteristics of Epoxy through Nanocellulose Reinforcement

Abstract

Nanocellulose (NC) stands out as a promising reinforcement agent for protective coatings due to its renewable, biodegradable, and biocompatible nature. In this research, we synthesized coconut shell powder nanoparticles (CSNPs) with an average size of 52.43 nm in the laboratory. These CSNPs were incorporated into epoxy (EP) coatings at loadings ranging from 0 to 3 wt% through a hand-laying process, applied onto steel rods at room temperature. Characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to analyze the nanocomposite coatings. The corrosion resistance of the coated steel rods was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) after immersion in a 3.5% sodium chloride solution. Notably, after a 5-day exposure, the 2% CSNP-loaded coating exhibited the highest adhesion strength, surpassing the pure epoxy coating and other formulations. SEM analysis confirmed the excellent dispersion of 2% nanocellulose in the matrix, demonstrating superior anti-corrosion properties over 30 and 90 days of EIS experiments. Comparative studies with pure epoxy resin through EIS and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) tests underscored the significant enhancement in corrosion protection performance achieved by incorporating CSNPs. The study employs terms such as nanocomposites, nanocellulose, characterizations, coating, anticorrosion, and electrochemical tests to comprehensively address the multifaceted aspects of this investigation.