Hydrogen resistance of reduced graphene oxide coatings prepared by electrophoretic deposition on duplex stainless steel

Abstract

In this study, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coatings were fabricated on duplex stainless steel (DSS) substrates using the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method to evaluate their hydrogen resistance performance. The successful fabrication of rGO coatings was confirmed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The structural characteristics were characterized using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The results indicate that the EPD voltage is a crucial factor affecting the surface quality of and hydrogen resistance performance of rGO. Lower voltages resulted in lower degrees of rGO reduction and higher surface wrinkle density, while higher voltages caused bubble formation, significantly degrading the coating quality and hydrogen resistance performance. The optimal hydrogen resistance was achieved at an EPD voltage of 7.5V and a deposition time of 6 min. Electrochemical hydrogen charging tests and thermal desorption analysis (TDA) demonstrated that rGO coatings prepared under optimal conditions exhibited excellent hydrogen resistance efficiency, significantly reducing hydrogen atom penetration in hydrogen environments. The study further revealed that bubble formation significantly reduces the hydrogen resistance of rGO, which is attributed to increased interlayer spacing and the loss of the “labyrinth effect”. © 2024