Improvement in the corrosion resistance of stainless steel 304L in sodium chloride solution by a nanoclay incorporated silane coating

Abstract

An eco-friendly silane sol–gel coating incorporating nanoclay was formulated to provide an effective corrosion protection for stainless steel 304L in a NaCl solution. Electrochemical measurements were used to determine the nanoparticle content in which the most efficient protection was provided. In consistency with the EIS data, electrochemical noise analysis indicated the significant impact of nanoclay concentration on the coating barrier properties. According to the surface analysis including XRD, FTIR, FESEM, AFM and water contact angle measurements, the behavior might be attributed to the dispersion of nanoparticles, chemical analysis of the films, surface hydrophobicity, thickness, roughness and morphology of the coatings.