Nanocomposite Coatings in Corrosion Protection Applications: An Overview

Corrosion is one of the biggest problems which affects the economy of the country, which occurs as a result of the interaction of the metal with its surroundings. One of the easiest ways to prevent corrosion is coatings of the metals with paint, plastic or wood. Several types of coatings have been adopted by corrosion scientists in the prevention of corrosion that are mainly based on electrochemical principles. Fortunately, based on cost and effectiveness, four types of coatings are variably employed by the metal and metallurgy industries. One among the cheapest and effective way to prevent corrosion is to use barrier coatings like plastic, powder and paint. Hence, nanocomposite coatings by electrochemical deposition offers an excellent, scratch and corrosion resistance on the metal surface. These coatings may be used to restoration of the components instead of interchanging them, resulting in reduced maintenance costs and disturbance. Significant improvements in the corrosion protection of steel have been reported by using metal-metal matrix, metal-metal oxide matrix, metal-polymer matrix, and ceramic-metal matrix nanocomposite. This review presents an overview of works related to nanocomposite coatings and to re-evaluate the literature for the future research in the field that still lacks validation.

A review on polymer nanocomposite hydrogel preparation, characterization, and applications

Nanocomposite hydrogels, made by incorporating nanoparticles into a hydrogel matrix, have been developed to fulfill the need for materials with enhanced and predictable mechanical properties and functionality. This review breaks down the process of preparing and characterizing nanocomposite hydrogels and looks at the various applications they can be used for. Through careful selection of the nanoparticle and hydrogel types, as well as the preparation method, the degree of crosslinking and the strength of the intermolecular interactions between the nanoparticles and the hydrogel matrix can be controlled. Once the nanomaterial is prepared, the morphology, gel content, thermal stability, and mechanical properties are investigated. By varying the concentrations of nanoparticles within the hydrogel matrix, nanocomposite hydrogels with optimal functionality and mechanical properties are produced. The optimized nanomaterial can then be used for its intended application(s); here the focus is on applications in the biomedical and dye adsorption fields. With further research, it is predicted that nanocomposite hydrogels will fulfill their potential to be used in practical, everyday applications.

Hot Oscillatory Pressing of Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Copper Matrix Nanocomposite

Carbon nanotube reinforced copper matrix nanocomposites have great potential in machinery, microelectronics, and other applications. The materials are usually prepared by powder metallurgy processes, in which consolidation is a key step for high performance. To improve the density and mechanical properties, the authors explored the use of hot oscillatory pressing (HOP) to prepare this material. A carbon nanotube reinforced copper matrix nanocomposite was synthesized by both HOP and hot pressing (HP) at various temperatures, respectively. The samples prepared by HOP exhibited significantly higher density and hardness than those prepared by HP at the same temperature, and this was because the oscillatory pressure of HOP produced remarkable plastic deformation in copper matrix during sintering. With the decrease of sintering temperature in HOP, the amount of deformation defect increased gradually, playing a key role in the increasing hardness. This work proves experimentally for the first time that HOP can produce much more plastic deformation than HP to promote densification, and that HOP could be a very promising technique for preparing high-performance carbon nanotube reinforced copper matrix nanocomposites.