Progress in the science of corrosion inhibitors

The physicochemical features of corrosion inhibition of metals (alloys) strongly depend on the composition of the corrosive environment, its pH, temperature t, hydrodynamic conditions, the chemical nature of the metal to be protected, and the state of its surface, the presence of oxides, dirt, or corrosion products on it.This "multifactor" nature of corrosion seriously complicates the theoretical choice of an efficient corrosion inhibitor (CI), often requiring careful experimental studies and creating unjustified skepticism about the fundamental character of the physical chemistry area related to the study and development of CIs.Meanwhile, this skepticism can be proved wrong by the progress made over the past quarter century in various subareas.