Electrochemical Method for Characterization and Ranking of Corrosion Inhibitors
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Abstract
One of the most cost-effective methods in mitigating corrosion effects is through the use of corrosion inhibitors. This work studied the performance of eight organic inhibitors on mild steel substrate through electrochemical characterization techniques, with the primary goal of incorporating a screening process to sift through the large selection of potential inhibitors without having to fully characterize them. The test methodology developed was successful at screening the potential corrosion inhibitors through linear polarization resistance (LPR) testing in NaCl electrolyte, narrowing the collection of inhibitors to the three most-promising chemicals, adrenalone, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and dopamine. The screened inhibitors proved effective in HCl electrolyte, reducing the corrosion rates of mild steel by over 85%. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) testing were used to confirm surface adsorption of the molecules to the substrate, indicating the formation of a protective barrier film as the means of corrosion protection.