Abstract
Inhibition performance and adsorption behaviour of lauric acid in acidic and near neutral environments were investigated by electrochemical and surface analysis methods. The results showed that the inhibition ability and the minimum effective inhibitor concentration are both pH dependent. The former decreased and the latter increased with pH value. The adsorption of the inhibitor was the predominant mechanism at lower pH values, with the formation of a protective adsorption film. At higher pH value, the inhibitor cannot prevent the corrosion process effectively and hence the adsorption of the inhibitor and formation of FeCO3 like corrosion product coexisted. The difference of inhibition performance can be ascribed to the different adsorption state of the inhibitor on metal surface at different pH value resulting in a different interaction with the metal surface, which was validated by vibrational spectroscopy (attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy).
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