Prevention of water, oxygen, and chloride ions contained in hydrotalcite interlayers from diffusing through the layered double hydroxides (LDH) is of crucial importance in corrosion protection. In this work, a hybrid composed of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets/Zn2+/Al3+ layered double hydroxide (RGO/ZnAl-LDH) composite films on the surface of 6N01 aluminum (Al) alloy was successfully synthesized by a novel and facile hydrothermal continuous flow method, which enabled direct growth of the composite on the surface of the Al alloy substrate. The structure and morphology of the RGO/ZnAl-LDH composite films were fully characterized. Based on electrochemical measurements in a NaCl solution, the RGO/ZnAl-LDH composite film significantly enhanced the corrosion protection, as compared with the ZnAl-LDH film. The RGO/ZnAl-LDH composite film could maintain an outstanding corrosion resistance after 7 days immersion in a high concentration of NaCl solution (i.e., 5.0 wt %). The enhanced corrosion resistance was attributed to the barrier effect on diffusion of water, oxygen, and chloride ions by the RGO contained in the RGO/ZnAl-LDH composite films.
Keywords: barrier property; corrosion protection; hydrothermal continuous flow method; layered double hydroxides; reduced graphene oxide nanosheet.