Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Abstract
The influence of l-ascorbic acid (AA) on mild steel corrosion in pH = 26 solutions was investigated using electrochemical and
weight loss techniques. Optical microscopic analyses provided the surface condition. The maximum inhibitor efficiency has been found
in 103 mol dm3 AA, pH = 4, solutions (69%). In these conditions, AA acts as a mixed-type inhibitor. Activation energies of 49.4 and
65.7 kJ mol1 for the corrosion processes were observed in absence and presence of AA, respectively. The AA inhibitor effect could also
be evidenced by surface optical images.
2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Keywords: Mild steel; l-Ascorbic acid; Acid inhibition; Organic inhibitors
The chemical composition of the used mild steel is shown Fig. 1 shows the open circuit potential (OCP) curves for
in Table 1. The chromium content is uncommon. The plate mild steel in pH = 4 solutions with different AA concen-
from where the test coupons and disks used for our experi- trations (103 to 107 mol l1 ). Soon after the electrode
ments were extracted was bought from a small local foundry, immersion, an accentuated displacement of OCP towards
which usually adds variable amounts of Cr in order to in- negative values is observed whether or not AA presence.
crease the corrosion resistance of the final product. This behavior is due to an initial dissolution process of
All the reagents used were of analytical grade acquired electrode oxide film. Afterwards (approximately 20 min),
from Vetec (l-ascorbic acid), Carlos Erba (sodium hydrox- the OCP remains slightly constant for practically all solu-
ide) and Ecibra Reagentes Analticos (98% sulfuric acid). tions, except when the AA concentration is 103 mol l1 . In
All of them were used without previous purification. Dis- this case, a gradual OCP increase occurs, which indicates a
tilled and deionized water was used for all solution prepa- possible film formation onto the electrode surface. Similar
rations. Solutions of 0.01 mol l1 H2 SO4 with pH carefully results were also obtained for pH = 2, 3, 5 and 6 solutions.
adjusted to 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 by addition of NaOH Table 2 reports the measured OCP at the end of 60 min
stock solutions were employed as blank, i.e., l-ascorbic acid of immersion for pH = 26 solutions with several AA con-
free. For experiments containing l-ascorbic acid, the solid centrations. The results reproducibility was satisfactory; the
was added to blank solutions to reach final concentrations of deviation is approximately 1015%. In Table 2, it is possible
103 , 104 , 105 , 106 and 107 mol l1 . All experiments
were carried out at room temperature and non-deaerated so- -450
lutions. [AA] (mol l-1)
The electrochemical measurements were carried out with blank
-500
an EG&G-PARC model 263A potentiostat/galvanostat inter- 10-3
faced with a microcomputer using the EG&G-PARC Soft- 10-4
-550
Corr II Model 252/352 software for data acquisition and 10-5
E (mV)
Table 2
OCP values recorded after 60 min of immersion for mild steel electrodes
[AA] (mol l1 ) OCP/OCPa (mV)
pH = 2 pH = 3 pH = 4 pH = 5 pH = 6
1.8
log CR (mdd)
-600
E (mV)
1.4
[AA] (moll-1)
-800 blank 10 -3 1.0
10 -4 10 -5
10 -6 10 -7
0.6
-1000 30 31 32 33 34
10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-3 10-2
j (A cm-2) 104/T (K-1)
Fig. 2. Potentiodynamic polarization curves for mild steel in pH = 4 Fig. 3. Arrhenius plot for mild steel in pH = 4 solution with 103 mol l1
solutions with 103 to 107 mol l1 AA. AA.
600
1.0
weight loss, 2h
0.8
electrochemical
400
molar ratio
L-monoascorbate anion
0.4 ascorbate anion
200
0.2
0.0
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
pH 2 3 4 5 6
(a) pH
Fig. 4. Composition of AA solutions as function of pH value.
before, the corrosion inhibition process was attributed to the immersion time / h
60 2
adsorption of DHA onto the electrode surface. Its presence 6
can be understood analyzing the data shown in Fig. 4. For 12
pH = 4, where the highest protection efficiency was per- 24
30
IE (%)
4. Conclusions
Acknowledgements
References
[17] American Society for Testing and Materials, Annual Book of ASTM [24] M.B. Davies, J. Austin, D.A. Partridge, Vitamin C: Its Chemistry
Standard, ASTM, Philadelphia, PA, 1978. and Biochemistry, Royal Society of Chemistry, London, 1991.
[18] O.L. Riggs Jr., R.M. Hurd, Corrosion 23 (1967) 252. [25] S. Lewin, Vitamin C: Its Molecular Biology and Medical Potential,
[19] D. Altura, K. Nobe, Corrosion 29 (1973) 433. Academic Press, London, 1976.
[20] J.J. Podesta, A.J. Arvia, Electrochim. Acta 10 (1965) 159. [26] P.A. Seib, B.M. Tolbert, Ascorbic Acid: Chemistry, Metabolism and
[21] A. Sieverts, P. Lueg, Z. Anorg. Chem. 126 (1923) 192. Uses. Advances in Chemistry, Series No. 200, American Chemical
[22] A. Spinelli, R.S. Gonalves, Corros. Sci. 30 (1990) 1235. Society, Washington, DC, 1982.
[23] D.A. Skoog, D.M. West, F.J. Holler, Fundamentals of Analytical [27] A.E. Martell, R.M. Smith, Critical Stability Constants, vol. 3, Plenum
Chemistry, 6th ed., Saunders College Publishing, New York, 1992. Press, New York, 1989.