Polymeric composite coatings with graphene and graphene oxide for the civil construction – A review

Steel is one of the most used materials in civil construction and, although it exhibits a very satisfactory performance in terms of mechanical properties, it has the disadvantage of susceptibility to tribochemical mechanisms. Corrosion of steel of reinforced concrete structures (Standard NBR 7480 - CA50) can affect its structural integrity, decreasing its resistance to external stresses, affecting the service life and, therefore, the durability of the structure. The most common pathological manifestations in steel structures are mainly caused by the accumulation of moisture, deficient drainage of rainwater, and lack of protection against the corrosion process. Polymeric coatings with Graphene and Graphene oxide (GO) can be seen as a solution to these corrosion problems in carbon steel due to its chemical stability combined with its high properties such as the degree of hydrophobicity, impermeability to many types of salts and gases, in addition to its good conductivity, GO additions allow to obtain a coating with greater durability. This work aims to discuss the influence of GO on the improvement of anti-corrosion coatings on carbon steel. The literature points out that the introduction of GO concentration in the mass ratios of 0.1 to 5% w/w in coatings has the potential to improve the tribochemical properties of the coating on carbon steel. In this article, a bibliographical review was carried out about the use of GO applied to carbon steel in civil construction, its main methods of processing composites of a polymeric matrix reinforced with graphene oxide, as well as to check if there is an improvement in the main properties of that material.