Graphene Reinforced Composites as Protective Coatings for Oil and Gas Pipelines

Corrosion and corrosion-induced damage have resulted mostly in malfunctions and sometimes even in failures of metallic structures, including oil and gas pipelines. In this study, new high-performance composite coatings were developed by incorporating nanoparticles in the polymer resins with applications to oil and gas pipelines. The graphene nanoplatelets under different concentrations were used to prepare the epoxy-based nanocomposites and were then evaluated through mechanical and electrical tests. The integration of high-speed disk and ultrasonication were adopted as the dispersion technique to overcome nanoparticle agglomeration. Electron microscopy techniques were used to investigate the agglomeration. The new composites were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated in terms of contact angle, surface roughness, adhesion to the substrate, corrosion resistance, and abrasion resistance. The results suggested that the composite with 0.5~1.0 wt.% of the graphene nanofillers led to the largest improvement in both mechanical and electrochemical properties. Distribution of nanoparticles in the matrix was observed using scanning electron microscopy and surface roughness using atomic force microscopy. Large agglomeration that was observed at the higher concentrations mainly resulted in the reduction of corrosion resistance and abrasion resistance.