Corrosion Inhibition of C-Steel Using Supported and Non-Supported Cu-Nanoparticles/Benzotriazole

Depositing Cu nanoparticles on the C-steel surface using the self-replacement technique has shown a corrosion inhibition efficiency higher than 91% in acidic medium if the Fe/Cu system was preimmersed in 1 mM benzotriazole for 30 minutes. The use of polyaniline nanotubes as a support for the Cu nanoparticles did not enhance the inhibition efficiency of Cu nanopraticles for Fe. On the contrary, it decreased a little bit. This work compares between corrosion inhibition efficiency of the polyaniline 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, the interaction takes place mainly through the adsorption mechanism rather than the Cu(I)BTA film formation one. The image shows the change of the corrosion type from the uniform to the pitting form.