Adel Marwa, Fathy Dalia S, El-Eneen Osama Abo
Fabrication Technology Department, Advanced Technology and New Materials Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA City), New Borg El-Arab, Alexandria, 21934, Egypt.
Petroleum Applications Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI), Nasr City, Cairo, 11727, Egypt.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 20;15(1):30617. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11204-6.
The current study evaluates the anticorrosive performance of Epoxy coating augmented with a distinctive, environmentally safe, nitrogen-doped graphene. A simple, green, and single-step cost-effective route for synthesis graphene nanosheets doped with nitrogen (Gr) has been developed using direct-solvothermal treatment of chitosan, under gentle conditions. XRD, FTIR, SEM, XPS and Raman spectroscopy were employed to characterize the microstructure characteristics of N-doped graphene. Well separated flatten morphology with folding characteristics and extremely extended considerable average lateral dimensions further than 1.27 mm was detected. Graphene was successfully integrated into epoxy coatings on carbon steel substrates with different tiny graphene concentrations < 0.04 wt%. The coatings' corrosion resistance capabilities and accelerated durability tests were studied, including salt spray corrosion, bending, impact, adhesion, abrasion properties, wear resistance, and hardness. Comprehensive mechanical performance was investigated. Understanding the microstructural characteristics of Gr, the interface character of Gr/Epoxy coating composites with different Nanofiller loading and how these affect both the mechanism of the enhancement of corrosion protection process and their tensile behavior, were a focal point of interest. Remarkably, the coating with just 0.02 wt% Gr exhibited a 70% reduction in wear index compared to neat epoxy, along with significant enhancements in mechanical toughness showing a 573% increase in ultimate toughness and a 993% increase in toughness at fracture. These exceptional improvements are attributed to the strong interfacial bonding between Gr and the epoxy matrix, as well as the tortuous path created by the well-dispersed graphene sheets, which effectively dissipates energy during crack propagation. The findings reveal a pronounce toughening and strengthening effects for epoxy composites from nitrogen doped graphene reinforcement paving the way for "green" and mechanically superior structural composites.
当前的研究评估了添加独特的、环境安全的氮掺杂石墨烯的环氧涂层的防腐性能。通过在温和条件下对壳聚糖进行直接溶剂热处理，开发了一种简单、绿色且单步成本效益高的合成氮掺杂石墨烯纳米片（Gr）的方法。采用XRD、FTIR、SEM、XPS和拉曼光谱对氮掺杂石墨烯的微观结构特征进行了表征。检测到具有折叠特征且平均横向尺寸极大地扩展至超过1.27毫米的良好分离的扁平形态。石墨烯以不同的微小石墨烯浓度（<0.04 wt%）成功地整合到碳钢基材上的环氧涂层中。研究了涂层的耐腐蚀能力和加速耐久性测试，包括盐雾腐蚀、弯曲、冲击、附着力、耐磨性能、耐磨性和硬度。研究了综合机械性能。了解Gr的微观结构特征、不同纳米填料负载量的Gr/环氧涂层复合材料的界面特性以及这些特性如何影响腐蚀防护过程增强机制及其拉伸行为，是研究的重点。值得注意的是，与纯环氧相比，仅含0.02 wt% Gr的涂层磨损指数降低了70%，同时机械韧性显著提高，极限韧性提高了573%，断裂韧性提高了993%。这些优异的改进归因于Gr与环氧基体之间的强界面结合，以及分散良好的石墨烯片形成的曲折路径，该路径在裂纹扩展过程中有效地耗散了能量。研究结果揭示了氮掺杂石墨烯增强对环氧复合材料具有显著的增韧和强化作用，为“绿色”且机械性能优越得结构复合材料铺平了道路。
