Analysis of inhibitory properties of neodymium tartrate and comparison with neodymium chloride for mild steel in neutral sodium chloride solution

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the eco-friendly neodymium tartrate (NdTar) inhibitor for mild steel in sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. Design/methodology/approach The mild steel 1010 coupon was considered for the current study. Weight loss and the electrochemical methods were used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of neodymium chloride (NdCl 3 ) and NdTar on mild steel in NaCl solution. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements were carried out to study the morphology and composition of the film, nature of deposits and corrosion products formed in test media on the corroded steel, with the objective of further analyzing the observed behavior of the two inhibitors. Findings Of the two, NdTar performs better than NdCl 3 because it shields mild steel surfaces for longer. According to the results, when NdCl 3 is present in a corrosive solution, the protective film only comprises Nd/Fe oxide/hydroxide/carbonate. However, when neodymium is coupled with the tartrate group (an organic group) and then added to the NaCl solution, the inhibitor film comprises both bimetallic complexes (Fe-Tar-Nd) and metal oxide/hydroxide/carbonate, which results in a more compact film and has higher inhibition efficiency. Originality/value This study evaluated the combined effects of inorganic and organic inhibitors with those of an inorganic inhibitor used alone for mild steel in NaCl solution.