A graphene-based anticorrosion coating technology developed by the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been deployed at scale on the Xiangshan Port cross-sea bridge in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Spanning approximately 8.276 kilometers across Xiangshan Port, a bay of the East China Sea, the bridge is part of China's first cross-sea suburban railway. It opened to traffic on September 22 and is currently the world's longest-span cable-stayed railway bridge with a ballastless track.

Cross-sea bridges are exposed to high salinity, high humidity, and strong ultraviolet radiation. These harsh marine conditions pose serious challenges to the weather resistance, corrosion resistance, and service life of protective materials.

The graphene-modified, heavy-duty anticorrosion coatings applied to the bridge were developed by Ningbo Zhongke-Yinyi New Material Co., Ltd., a company incubated by NIMTE that drew on the institute's anticorrosion coating technology. These coatings provide excellent barrier performance, strong adhesion, and high salt-spray resistance. This helps mitigate the corrosion of the bridge's main steel structures in the harsh marine environment.

According to the researchers, by doubling the service life of conventional anticorrosion coatings, the new coatings can substantially cut maintenance costs and safety risks.

The large-scale application is expected to enhance the safety and durability of cross-sea rail infrastructure. The coating technology also holds promise for wider use in marine engineering, high-end equipment, and aerospace.