n‐Octylamine as the Inhibitor for the Corrosion of Mild Steel in Acidic Solutions

Introduction Amines have been known for a number of years as effective corrosion inhibitors. Their efficiency is attributed to the presence of the nitrogen atom acting as the active centre for the adsorption of organic molecules on the metal surface. Several aliphatic and aromatic amines have been reported to serve as effective corrosion inhibitors for iron and steel in acidic solutions. The nitrogen‐containing corrosion inhibitor exhibited a very good performance in hydrochloric acid, but very little effect in sulphuric acid. Hence a study of the mechanism by which the corrosion rate is reduced when these organic compounds are added to solutions is of interest. In this study the inhibition of corrosion of mild steel in HCl and H2SO4 has been studied using different electrochemical techniques. Results are reported and discussed.