The paper presents the results of research on nanocomposite nickel/graphene oxide (Ni / GO) coatings produced by electrochemical reduction method on a steel substrate. Discussed is the method of manufacturing composite coatings with nickel matrix and embedded graphene oxide flakes. For comparative purposes, the studies also included a nanocrystalline Ni coating without embedded graphene oxide flakes. Graphene oxide was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy. Results of studies on the structure of nickel and composite Ni/GO coatings deposited in a bath containing different amount of graphene oxide are presented. The coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The adhesion of the prepared coatings to the substrate was examined by the scratch method. The microhardness of the coatings was measured using the Vickers method on perpendicular cross-sections to the surface. Corrosion tests of the coatings were investigated using the potentiodynamic method. The influence of graphene oxide on the structure and properties of composite coatings deposited from baths with different content of graphene oxide was determined.

In this research, graphene oxide was introduced as an efficient flotation reagent for the selective separation of molybdenite from chalcopyrite. The performance of graphene oxide and its adsorption mechanism on chalcopyrite were investigated by flotation tests, FTIR spectra, and XPS measurements. First, graphene oxide was synthesised, and then its performance was evaluated by SEM, XRD, and EDX. Flotation tests were carried out in a hallimond flotation cell with a volume of 300 ml. Optimum flotation values were achieved at pH = 9 by adding 250 g/t of PAX (Potassium Amyl Xanthate) as a collector and 50 g/t of A65 (Poly Propylene Glycol) as a frother. The results showed high recovery, around 80% for molybdenite, while chalcopyrite was depressed in high amounts by employing 11 kg/t of graphene oxide as a depressant. Compared to common chalcopyrite depressants such as NaHS, Na2S, and C2H3NaO2S, graphene oxide had a higher potency in depressing, which can be applied as a green-depressant in the separation of molybdenite from chalcopyrite by the flotation process. Also, the validity of the depressing effect on chalcopyrite was verified by XPS and FTIR spectra.

This study discusses the synthesis, characterization and development of self-healing nanocomposite of amino-terminated PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane), Epoxy (EPON828¸ Diethylenetriamine (DETA)), and Graphene Oxide (GO).GOwas prepared using a modified Hummer’s method andwas incorporated into the PDMS-Epoxy composite in various ratios (0.1 wt.%, 0.3 wt.%, and 0.5 wt.%) using toluene as the dispersing medium. Fourier TransformInfrared Spectroscopy was used for confirming the presence of the designed/prepared structures, and thermo-mechanical analysis was performed to test the change in glass transition temperature and initiation temperature of self-healing process. The composite resins were coated on mild steel substrates by curing freshly prepared resins over the substrates at elevated temperatures. The corrosion behavior of mild steel in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution before and after the coatings was studied using Tafel Electrochemical Polarization test. The self-healing properties of the materials were also studied by applying cuts on the material and letting them heal under elevated temperatures, and the results showed that the prepared coating demonstrated an effective corrosion resistance for mild steel for various marine applications.