Recent progress on corrosion mechanisms of graphene-reinforced metal matrix composites

Abstract For components serving in high temperature, humidity, and salinity marine corrosive environment, it is vital to analyze the causes of corrosion behavior and corrosion mechanisms. Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are commonly used materials for offshore equipment. In this work, the corrosion factors of MMCs in marine environments are analyzed from the characteristics of high temperature, humidity, and salinity service environment, and the corrosion mechanisms are summarized. Graphene (Gr) has excellent comprehensive properties and great potential for applications in metal protection materials. In recent years, research into Gr anti-corrosive applications encompasses two aspects: pure Gr coatings and Gr composite coatings. Gr applied in MMCs is yet to be extensively studied. Therefore, this study analyzes the corrosion resistance of Gr–metal composites and discusses the corrosion resistance mechanisms of Gr-reinforced MMCs, which provides a reference for the design of Gr-reinforced metal composites and the optimization of corrosion resistance performance. Finally, future development directions for Gr–metal composites are proposed, and the critical factors such as defects, dispersion, content, size, arrangement, interface, and conductivity of Gr in the composites affecting their anti-corrosion properties are discussed. Graphical abstract