Corrosion inhibition of C-steel using supported and non-supported Cu-nanoparticles/benzotriazole

Abstract

Depositing Cu nanoparticles (NPs) on the C-steel (Fe) surface using the self-replacement technique has shown a corrosion inhibition efficiency (IE) for C-steel of 98% in acidic medium if the Fe/Cu system was preimmersed in 1 mM benzotriazole (BTA) for 2 hours. The use of polyaniline (PANi) nanotubes layer as a support for the Cu nanoparticles did not enhance the IE of Cu NPs/BTA for Fe. On the contrary, it decreased a little bit. This work compares between corrosion IE of the PANi nanotubes and Cu nanoparticles separately and in presence and absence of benzotriazole. In addition, this work introduces a new and simple technique that is able to decide how the benzotriazole molecules interact with the Cu surface. It was proven using this technique that at the free corrosion potential (EOCP), the interaction takes place mainly through the adsorption mechanism rather than the Cu(I) BTA film formation one.