The Corrosion-Inhibitory Influence of Graphene Oxide on Steel Reinforcement Embedded in Concrete Exposed to a 3.5m Nacl Solution

This study researches the feasibility of using graphene oxide (GO) as a corrosion inhibitor in reinforced concrete throughout exposure to a 3.5M NaCl environment. Two GO concentrations were used in this study (0.0005 and 0.005 wt.%). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), linear polarization resistance (LPR), and corrosion potential (ECORR) techniques were used to assess the corrosion current density (ICORR) of rebar in concrete during one year under wetting/drying cycles. Oxygen permeability and electrical resistivity tests were also done to evaluate the concrete's susceptibility to corrosion. After one year of the exposure period, the rebar samples were extracted from the concrete and subjected to visual examination and electron microscopy analysis (SEM-EDS) to assess the rebar surface morphology. The SEM-EDS results corroborated the EIS and LPR findings, revealing that both GO concentrations provided substantial corrosion inhibition. The GO concentration of 0.005 wt.% exhibited the most effective corrosion inhibition performance. The study findings suggest that GO might be beneficial for inhibiting corrosion in steel reinforcement inside concrete constructions under harsh conditions.