Enhanced corrosion and wear resistance of gradient graphene-CrC nanocomposite coating on stainless steel

Abstract The preparation of high-efficiency, stable, and low-cost graphene coating on the stainless steel substrate was highly anticipated but remained a challenge. Here, the graphene-CrC nanocomposite coatings were prepared on the 304 stainless steel ball (SS) by using the simple mechanical ball milling, which is in a gradient structure of graphene-CrC towards outside (G/SS). Notably, the graphene coatings could be strongly bonded on the SS surface by C-Cr bonding, which could provide excellent durability. Corrosion analysis revealed that graphene-CrC coatings would remarkably enhance the anticorrosion property of SS at the range of 293–328 K. The corrosion rates of the G/SS were merely 0.0336 × 10−4 mm day−1, which was significantly slower than that of the SS (1.58 × 10−4 mm day−1) at the room temperature. The double-layered coating could slow down the wear rate from 14.1 × 10−6 mm3 N−1 m−1 to 4.82 × 10−6 mm3 N−1 m−1. The present work could light on a straightforward strategy for the development of graphene coatings on metal substrate.