Corrosion inhibition of mild steel in 1 M sulfuric acid solution using anionic surfactant

The anionic surfactant [p-myristyloxy carbonyl methoxy-p′-sodium carboxylate-azobenzene] was prepared. The surface tension at 298 K was measured, the critical micelle concentration (cmc) and some surface active parameters were calculated. The inhibition efficiency (η%) of this surfactant has been studied by both chemical and electrochemical techniques at 25 °C. A significant decrease in the corrosion rate was observed in presence of the investigated inhibitor. The galvanostatic polarization curves showed that, the inhibitor behaves as mixed type but the cathodic effect is more pronounced. Tafel slopes are approximately constant and independent on the inhibitor concentration. The observed corrosion data indicate that, the inhibition of mild steel corrosion is due to the adsorption of the inhibitor molecules on the surface, which follow Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The surface morphology of mild steel samples in absence and presence of the inhibitor was examined using scanning electron microscopy.