Impact of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles on epoxy's mechanical and corrosion-resistance properties for carbon steel in seawater

Co3O4 nanoparticles (Co3O4 -NPs) are synthesized using the facile solvothermal method. FT-IR and XRD spectroscopic analyses verify the creation of cobalt oxide nanoparticles with an average size of 13.20 nm. Furthermore, Zeta potential assessments were carried out to identify the electrical charge of the surface of the produced Co3O4 -NPs, which was found to be -20.5 mV. In addition, the average pore size of Co3O4 -NPs is 19.8 nm, and their BET surface area is 92.4 m/g. The study also concerned the effect of Co3O4 -NPs on epoxy's improvement of mechanical and corrosion protection for carbon steel in salt solution. By including Co3O4 -NPs in an epoxy (EP) coating, corrosion is effectively prevented by non-permeable protective coatings that effectively reduce the transfer of corrosion ions and oxygen.