Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, have developed a corrosion-resistant epoxy coating designed to protect steel structures exposed to seawater and high-salinity environments.

The work, published in Advanced Engineering Materials, was carried out by Prof Chandan Das of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and research scholar Dr Anil Kumar.

Corrosion weakens metal and shortens the life of critical infrastructure — offshore platforms, coastal bridges, ports, and marine pipelines — causing major industrial accidents, including the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.

Conventional barrier coatings, though widely used, eventually develop microscopic defects that allow moisture and salts to penetrate and attack the underlying metal. To strengthen these coatings, researchers worldwide have experimented with incorporating nanomaterials — ultra-small particles that enhance mechanical strength and protective performance. However, no previous study has integrated reduced graphene oxide, zinc oxide, and polyaniline into a single epoxy coating for marine corrosion protection.

The IIT-Guwahati team has combined all three. They created a novel nanocomposite by attaching zinc oxide nanorods to reduced graphene oxide and wrapping the structure with polyaniline. This composite was then blended into an epoxy coating and tested through multiple characterisation techniques.

The resulting coating outperformed standard epoxy, forming a denser and more uniform barrier, exhibiting stronger adhesion to steel, and slowing the movement of corrosive elements far more effectively. These advantages make it well suited for steel structures with saltwater exposure.

Nano tetrapods that help polymers flow smoothly

A team of researchers from IIT-Bombay, IIT-Madras, and IIT-Kanpur has found that adding tiny, four-armed nanoparticles can help thick polymers flow more smoothly. These nanoparticles, shaped somewhat like miniature versions of the concrete tetrapods used along coastlines, were mixed with the commonly studied polymer polystyrene. Polymers with long, heavy chains often resist flow, but the unusual geometry of these particles appears to ease that resistance.

The idea was tested using cadmium–selenium tetrapod nanoparticles, which were blended into polystyrene and compared with spherical and rod-shaped particles. Only the tetrapod form reduced viscosity; the other shapes actually made the material thicker. The researchers also confirmed that the polymer’s strength and heat resistance remained unchanged after adding the tetrapods.

The work suggests that if such precisely shaped nanoparticles can be produced at scale, they could one day help lower the energy required to process polymers with high molecular weights.

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Published on December 1, 2025