Formulation and Behavior of Epoxy Coating Reinforced with Graphene Oxide-Hollow Mesoporous Silicon Dioxide for Corrosion Protection of Steel Structure

This study reports the synthesis of graphene oxide-hollow mesoporous silicon dioxide (GO-SiO2) hybrid nanostructures and their incorporation into epoxy coatings at loadings of 0.1 wt% and 0.2 wt% using stirring and ultrasonication methods. The functionalization of silicon dioxide (SiO2) Nanoparticles (NPs) with 3-(aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) improved dispersion within the epoxy matrix, overcoming the agglomeration challenge of GO. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed the successful formation of the GO-SiO2 hybrids and validated their role as effective reinforcing agents within the coating system, while the corrosion protection performance and mechanical adhesion strength of the coatings were systematically evaluated using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and pull-off adhesion tests, respectively. The results indicated that GO-SiO2/epoxy (GO-SiO2/EP) coatings provided superior corrosion resistance and adhesion compared to GO/epoxy (GO-EP) and neat epoxy coatings, with 0.2 wt% GO-SiO2 prepared by ultrasonication showing the best performance. These findings highlight the potential of GO-SiO2/EP nanocomposite coatings for corrosion protection of steel structures.