Fabrication and Characterization of Graphene Oxide – Cadmium Sulphide Nanocomposite Coating for Corrosion Inhibition of Mild Steel Specimen

Abstract The oil and gas sector play a significant role in the Sultanate of Oman’s economic growth and contribute major revenue. Corrosion is a global concern and that strongly affects the industrial sectors. The corrosion problems in oil pipelines would be successfully resolved by means of novel control techniques. This research focused on the fabrication of Graphene oxide (GO) - Cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanocomposite for controlling corrosion in mild steel specimen. Graphene oxide was synthesized from Alovera extract by carbonization process. GO - CdS nanocomposite was prepared and deposited on a mild steel pipe by self-assembly technique. The coated material was used for stability studies at varying pH conditions and exposure period followed by corrosion studies. The testing methods adopted are Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-Ray analysis (EDX), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Wet/Dry test and Atmosphere tests were conducted to examine the performance of coating material towards corrosion. The atomic force microscope (AFM) operated in non-contact mode was used to study surface topology of the coated specimen. From the outcome of the corrosion studies, it was established that the GO- CdS Nano composites thin film acted as an ecofriendly corrosion inhibitor to enhance the lifespan of the mild steel pipe. This novel research is aligned with the United Nations Sustainability Goals (UNSD - 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure & UNSDG 12 – Responsible consumption and production) and Oman vision 2040. The results from the study validates that the GO - CdS thin films coated on mild steel pipe could be a viable solution to corrosion issues in oil pipelines owing to their good film stability, minimum film thickness, high durability, and ecofriendly approach.