Sustainable corrosion protection: Chitosan/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite coating derived from palm oil empty fruit bunches on low carbon steel

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable corrosion protection materials has prompted eco-friendly innovations. This study developed a chitosan/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite coating derived from empty fruit bunches (EFB) for corrosion protection on low carbon steel (LCS). Using a green oxidation-reduction process with KMnO₄ and ZnCl₂ under optimized conditions (temperature, stirring, pH), the rGO was successfully synthesized. The 90 % chitosan/10 % rGO coating achieved a high inhibition efficiency of 90.65 %, reducing corrosion rates by enhancing charge transfer resistance and creating a robust anti-corrosion barrier. This scalable, sustainable solution offers a cost-effective alternative for industrial corrosion protection.