Nanocomposites and nanomaterials
Preparation of self-warning nanofibers and its corrosion resistance performance
Lin Cao1, Qi Wang1, Oleksiy Myronyuk2, Wei Wang1 
1 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
2 Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Peremogy Ave., 37 b.21, Kyiv-03056, Ukraine E-mail: o.myronyuk@kpi.ua

Marine self-warning nanofiber with core-shell structure composed of o-phenanthroline (Phen) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was prepared by coaxial electrospinning technology, and its corrosion resistance in seawater environment were studied. The core-shell structure of the nanofibers is obvious, the distribution is uniform, and the diameter of the nanofibers is stable. When the nanofibers are broken, Phen is released and reacts with ferrous ions in the environment to form orange red complex, which plays the role of self-warning. 

Fig.1. Schematic diagram of self-warning and anti-corrosion effect of nanocomposite coating

At the same time, polarization curve test shows that it has a certain corrosion inhibition effect. When the coating is attached to the carbon steel, red particles can be observed under the microscope one day after scratch, and the color of the scratch is obvious one week later, and dense red powder particles can also be seen under macro conditions. The application of the composite coating on the surface of carbon steel (Fig.1) results not only accurate detection of coating damage, but also has a certain corrosion inhibition effect on the coating itself, which can provide a valuable time for the quality inspection and other related actions of damage repair and maintenance.