Corrosion Prevention: The Use of Nanomaterials

The devastating economic impact of corrosion necessitates research into suitable corrosion control techniques. An important precursor to the development of such control methods is a comprehensive understanding of the factors that actively contribute to the corrosion of metals. These include environmental parameters such as presence of moisture, the pH and temperature of any surrounding electrolyte solution present, the concentration of oxygen present, etc. However, the level of corrosion observed on the material is only partly due to these factors. It is actually the metallurgical properties of the material that dictate how it will corrode in response to the environmental conditions present. This concept has fueled research into the development of nanomaterials such as nanocrystalline (NC) materials, nanogels, nanocomposites, nanoparticles, carbon dots, and nanocontainers, which possess physical properties that are markedly different from their mainstream microcrystalline (MC) counterparts and other corrosion inhibitors. While the use of nanomaterials in corrosion control undoubtedly has numerous benefits, their use has also been found to pose certain challenges; large scale processing of NC metals can prove difficult as they may have poor thermal stability and are highly susceptible to grain growth. In tribocorrosion control, on the other hand, the use of nanoparticles may result in the deposition of nanosized debris at the region of contact between two surfaces. This could have the undesired effect of increasing friction and damaging the oxide film layer present. This could favor further corrosion.