A material based on the carbon compound can protect against rust

May 21, 2012 12:41 GMT  ·  By

Rust is the worst enemy of many iron- and steel-based products, so coatings need to be used in order to protect them from corrosion. This is usually done with compounds containing a carcinogenic element called hexavalent chromium, but graphene may provide a safer, more efficient solution.

Hexavalent chromium is a known carcinogen that is most detrimental to the human body when inhaled. It can affect workers who weld or otherwise handle steel and textile dyes, among other items, and its use is prohibited in a number of countries.

In a new study, University of Buffalo investigators were able to create a new class of steel coatings that is based on the bi-dimensional, single-atom-thick carbon compound called graphene. The material exhibits amazing chemical and physical properties.

Since it was first synthesized at the University of Manchester, back in 2004, graphene has garnered a massive amount of interest from the science community, primarily for its applications in electronics. However, various studies have shown that it can also have important uses in chemistry.

The first batch of high-tech varnish the team developed was able to protect steel submerged in brine for only a few days, but the team says that this performance can be significantly increased by tweaking the patterns in which graphene is dispersed on the surface of steel.

After making some adjustments, the team was able to produce a coating that protected steel for about a month. In the real world, this protective effect would last a lot longer, since the concentration of salt in seawater is significantly lower than in brine.

The new study was led by UB assistant professor of chemistry Sarbajit Banerjee, PhD, and PhD student Robert Dennis. The experts now plan to further increase the protective effect of their new coating.

“The development of an environmentally friendly alternative to hexavalent chromium would truly revolutionize this sector,” explains the director of the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, Anahita Williamson, PhD, quoted by e! Science News.

“The metals plating industry identified this as a high-priority research project and NYSP2I is excited to support UB researchers in their efforts to develop solutions,” she goes on to say. The organization sponsored the investigation with a $50,000 grant.