Synthesis and Characterization of Polyaniline-Based Polymer Nanocomposites as Anti-Corrosion Coatings

Polymer nanocomposites of polyaniline (PANI)-based metal oxides (SiO2, CeO2, and TiO(2)A) were synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization by rapid mixing in a hydrochloric acid medium to evaluate and compare their performance as anti-corrosion coatings on commercial 1018 steel in a 3.5% NaCl medium. The anti-corrosion coatings were developed by dispersing synthesized nanocomposites on an alkydalic resin (AR) for their subsequent electrochemical characterization. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses show that PANI has a certain degree of crystallinity in its structure. The incorporation of metal oxide (MO) nanoparticles (NPs) into the polymer matrix was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analyses, while the interaction of nanoparticles with PANI was proven by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) reveals that nanoparticles infer greater resistance to the thermal decomposition of PANI. Finally, the use of open circuit potential (OCP) study, Tafel curves, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that coatings made with TiO(2)A NPs exhibit the best anti-corrosion properties as compared to those synthesized with SiO2 and CeO2 NPs.

Automated summary

Polymer nanocomposites consisting of polyaniline (PANI) and metal oxide nanoparticles (SiO2, CeO2, and TiO(2)A) were synthesized through in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. The incorporation of metal oxide nanoparticles into the polymer matrix enhanced the thermal resistance and anti-corrosion properties of the coatings. Among the coatings, those made with TiO(2)A NPs exhibited the best anti-corrosion performance.