| Abstract Scope |
Protecting the internal surface of natural gas pipelines from corrosion could greatly reduce leak-induced incidents and gas emissions. Our previous research showed that combining hydrophobic nanofillers of different sizes could create a superhydrophobic porous structure. However, the resultant coating required a two-step deposition process, and was fragile, and had a high corrosion rate (0.56 mm/year). In this report, we will discuss how a change in polymeric binder, the material used for assembling hydrophobic nanoparticles into a porous structure, led to better mechanical toughness and a simpler fabrication process based on 100% commercially available components. Most importantly, the optimized porous coating can reduce the corrosion rate by two orders of magnitude (0.003 mm/year) due to higher diffusion barrier based on a more resistant tortuous diffusion path. The combination of simplicity, toughness, effectiveness, and scalability greatly enhanced the prospect of commercializing this technology as an internal anti-corrosion coating for natural gas pipelines. |