The anticorrosion of surfactants toward L245 steel in acid corrosion solution: Experimental and theoretical calculation

The anticorrosion performance of two surfactants, namely imidazoline quaternary ammonium salt (IM) and benzotriazole (BTAH), as well as the inhibition performance of the surfactants mixture toward the corrosion of L245 steel in acid solution were studied using electrochemical method and weight-loss method. Corrosion rate value decreases while inhibition efficiency value increase with the rising of the inhibitor concentration, and the maximum inhibition efficiency of the inhibitor mixture is 88.4%. The adsorption of these inhibitors follow Langmuir isotherm, BTAH molecules adsorbed on metal surface mainly through physicochemical action while IM and the inhibitor mixture through chemical adsorption. Theoretical results show the charge transfer and bonding properties of co-adsorbed inhibitor mixture on metal surface were improved. The metal surface is well protected in the solution containing the inhibitor mixture, two surfactants show synergistic corrosion inhibition performance.