Published October 25, 2012 University at Buffalo researchers are
making significant progress on rust-proofing steel using a
graphene-based composite that could serve as a nontoxic
alternative to coatings that contain hexavalent chromium, a
probable carcinogen. In the scientists' first experiments,
pieces of steel coated with the high-tech varnish remained rust-
free for only a few days when immersed continuously in
saltwater, an environment that accelerates corrosion. By
adjusting the concentration and dispersion of graphene within
the composite, the researchers increased to about a month the
amount of time the treated steel can survive in brine. (Because
brine is an extremely harsh environment, the coated steel's
survival time in the real-world would be many times longer.) The
UB chemists leading the project are Sarbajit Banerjee, PhD, an
assistant professor, and Robert Dennis, a PhD student. Their
next step is to use a $50,000 grant from the New York State
Pollution Prevention Institute to enhance the graphe