Corrosion protection of mild steel by environment friendly Polypyrrole/Gum Acacia Composite Coatings

In a novel approach, Polypyrrole/Gum Acacia composites (PPy/GA) were synthesized by in-situ oxidative polymerization of pyrrole on the Gum Acacia (GA) surface by using FeCl3 as oxidant. The 1 HNMR and FTIR confirms the presence of peaks of Polyprrole and Gum Acacia in the composite. The microstructural analysis of the composite reveals uniform layer of Polypyrrole on the surface of GA particles. The X-ray Diffraction pattern reveals the amorphous nature of the composite. Powder coating technique was used to design the composite coatings. The electrochemical studies like Open Circuit Potential (OCP) variation with time, Potentiodynamic Polarization and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) were conducted in 3.5% NaCl solution to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the coatings. The composite coatings demonstrated superior corrosion resistance in salt spray fog of 5.0% NaCl (under accelerated test conditions in salt spray chamber). The synergistic combination of the corrosion inh