Raman Singh

Title : Circumventing challenges in developing CVD graphene coating on mild steel: A disruptive approach to remarkable/durable corrosion resistance

Abstract:

The talk will discuss the challenges in developing corrosion resistant graphene coating on most common engineering alloys, such as mild steel, and present recent results demonstrating circumvention of these challenges. In spite of traditional approaches of corrosion mitigation (e.g., use of corrosion resistance alloys such as stainless steels and coatings), loss of infrastructure due to corrosion continues to be a vexing problem. So, it is technologically as well as commercially attractive to explore disruptive approaches for durable corrosion resistance. Graphene has triggered unprecedented research excitement for its exceptional characteristics. The most relevant properties of graphene as corrosion resistance barrier are its remarkable chemical inertness, impermeability and toughness, i.e., the requirements of an ideal surface barrier coating for corrosion resistance. However, the extent of corrosion resistance has been found to vary considerably in different studies. The author’s group has demonstrated an ultra-thin graphene coating to improve corrosion resistance of copper by two orders of magnitude in an aggressive chloride solution (i.e., similar to sea-water). In contrast, other reports suggest the graphene coating to actually enhance corrosion rate of copper, particularly during extended exposures. Authors group has investigated the reasons for such contrast in corrosion resistance due to graphene coating as reported by different researchers. On the basis of the findings, author’s group has succeeded in demonstration of remarkable and durable corrosion resistance of mild steel as result of development of suitable graphene coating.

Audience Take Away Notes:

• Graphene as a wonder material
• Extraordinary and unique characteristics of graphene as corrosion-resistance coatings
• Challenges in developing pristine graphene coatings on steels (for corrosion resistance)
• Successful circumvention through innovative surface modification
• Demonstration of graphene-coated mild steel providing remarkable (possibly, everlasting) corrosion resistance  

Biography:

Professor Raman Singh’s primary research interests are in the relationship of Nano-/microstructure and Environment-assisted degradation and fracture of metallic and composite materials, and Nanotechnology for Advanced Mitigation of such Degradations. He has also worked extensively on use of advanced materials (e.g., graphene) for corrosion mitigation, stress corrosion cracking, and corrosion and corrosion-mitigation of magnesium alloys (including for the use of magnesium alloys for aerospace, defence and bioimplant applications).  Prof Singh is a senior professor at Monash University, Australia.  He is a Guest Professor at ETH Zurich, Switzerland (2020, 2023, 2024), US Naval Research Lab, Indian Institute of Science, and University of Connecticut. He worked as a scientist at Indian Atomic Energy and as a post-doc fellow at University of New South Wales, Australia.

Prof Singh’s professional distinctions and recognitions include: Guest Professor of ETH Zurich, Editor of a book on Cracking of Welds (CRC Press), Lead Editor of a book on Non-destructive Evaluation of Corrosion (Wiley), Editor-in-Chief of an Elsevier and two MDPI journals, leader/chairperson of a few international conferences and numerous plenary/keynote lectures at international conferences, over 270 peer-reviewed international journal publications and 15 book chapter, and several competitive research grants (that includes 4 Discovery, 7 Linkage and one ITRH grants of Australian Research Council).Prof Singh has supervised 58 PhD students.  His vibrant research group at Monash University comprises of PhD students from different disciplines (Mechanical, Chemical, Materials and Mining Engineering, and Science) as well as from different cultural backgrounds (Australian, Middle-eastern, Chinese, Malaysian, Indian, African, North American and Israeli).