Invisible barrier set to revolutionise corrosion protection 27 September 2012

A coating so thin it's invisible to the human eye is claimed to make copper nearly 100 times more resistant to corrosion, even in harsh industrial environments.

In a paper published in the September issue of Carbon, researchers from Monash University and Rice University in the USA say their findings could start a revolution in anti-corrosion coatings, using ultra-thin graphene films.

Graphene, a microscopically thin layer of carbon atoms, is already used on smartphone screens and is attracting research attention for its possibilities as a means of improving metals' corrosion resistance.

"We have obtained one of the best improvements that have been reported so far," comments study co-author Dr Mainak Majumder. "At this point, we are almost 100 times better than untreated copper. Other people are maybe five or six times better, so it's a pretty big jump."

Dr Parama Banerjee, who performed most of the experiments for this study, says graphene also has excellent mechanical properties and great strength, including much greater scratch resistance than conventional polymer coatings.

"I call it a magic material," comments Banerjee.

The researchers applied the graphene to copper at temperatures between 800 and 900 degrees, using a chemical vapour deposition.

However, Dr Majumder says his group is not only looking at different metals, but also investigating ways of applying the coating at lower temperatures, which would simplify production.

Brian Tinham

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