Development of poly(vinylcarbazole)/alumina nanocomposite coatings for corrosion protection of 316L stainless steel in 3.5% NaCl medium

Poly(vinylcarbazole) (PVK) and PVK‐alumina (Al₂O₃) nanocomposite coatings were electrochemically coated on 316 L stainless steel (SS) substrates for corrosion protection of 316 L SS in 3.5 weight (wt) % NaCl medium. The formation of PVK and incorporation of nanoalumina particles in PVK‐Al₂O₃ nanocomposite coatings were confirmed from attenuated total reflectance‐infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐IR). Thermal analysis (TG) results showed enhanced thermal stability for the composites relative to PVK. Incorporation of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles enhanced the micro hardness of PVK coated 316 L SS. The dispersion of alumina nanoparticles was examined via scanning electron microscope (SEM) and tunneling electron microscopy (TEM) and revealed distinct features. The influence of nanoparticles on the barrier properties of PVK and PVK‐Al₂O₃ nanocomposites was evaluated in aqueous 3.5 wt % NaCl by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies. The results proved that PVK nanocomposite coatings provided better protection for 316 L SS than PVK coatings. The drastic increase in impedance values is due to the high corrosion resistance offered by the PVK nanocomposite coatings that arises due to the interaction between Al₂O₃ nanoparticles and PVK. The highest corrosion protection shown by the 2 wt % nano Al₂O₃ incorporated PVK composite coatings proved enhanced corrosion resistance compared to PVK. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44937.