Preparation of environmentally friendly waterborne acrylate composite anticorrosive coatings is carried out with the function filler of amin-opropyltriethoxysilane (ATPES)-functionalization graphite nanoplatelets (f-GNPs) introduced in waterborne acrylate resin. The function filler is characterized by XPS, and the XPS result shows that the ATPES is grafted onto the surface of graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs). SEM images show that GNPs are dispersed well in the coating. The measurement results of the anticorrosive properties of the coating suggest that when the filler loading of GNPs is 3.6 wt%, the anticorrosive performance of the coating is optimal, namely, the salt spray resistance time exceeds 240 h, and the corrosion potential is − 0.68 V. At this time, the GNPs mainly play a physical isolation. When the filler loading of f-GNPs is 2.8 wt%, the coating presents the best anticorrosive performance, and the salt spray resistance time is more than 600 h, the service time is up to 50 years, and the corrosion potential is − 0.66 V. The anticorrosion mechanism of the coating is caused by the physical barrier and coulomb block effect. The coating is very suitable for repairing the defects caused by physical damages.