Vanadium Pentoxide-Enwrapped Polydiphenylamine/Polyurethane Nanocomposite: High-Performance Anticorrosive Coating

Nanocomposite coatings with synergistic properties hold a potential in long-term corrosion protection for carbon steel. Polydiphenylamine (PDPA) and vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) have rarely been used as a corrosion inhibitor. Moreover, oleo polyurethanes are always demanded in the field of anticorrosive coatings. In view of this, we have synthesized safflower oil polyurethane (SFPU) and their nanocomposites using V₂O₅-enwrapped PDPA (V₂O₅-PDPA) as nanofiller. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize the structural, morphological, and thermal properties of these coatings. Corrosion resistance performance of these coatings in 5 wt % NaCl solution was determined by electrochemical measurements and salt spray tests. These studies exhibited very low I_corr (7.45 × 10^–11 A cm^–2), high E_corr (−0.04 V), impedance (1.69 × 10¹¹ Ω cm²), and phase angle (84°) after the exposure of 30 days. An immersion test, in 1 M H₂SO₄ solution for 24 h, was also performed to investigate the effect of oxidizing acid on the surface of coatings. These results revealed the superior anticorrosive activity of nanocomposite coatings compared to those of plain SFPU and other such reported systems. The superior anticorrosive property of the proposed nanocomposite coatings provides a new horizon in the development of high-performance anticorrosive coatings for various industries.