Role of Citrate Ions in the Phosphonate-based Inhibitor System for Mild Steel in Aqueous Chloride Media

The corrosion inhibition efficiency of phosphonic acid and its derivatives for the inhibition of corrosion of mild steel in neutral chloride media is decided by its ability to form protectivefilm over the surface. In this context, the effect of addition of metal cations and certain organic compounds, such as citrate in conjugation with phosphonic acid to impart synergistic corrosion inhibition has been explored. The experiments were carried out using various concentrations of trisodium citrate and zinc ions in an aqueous solution of 2-carboxyethyl phosphonic acid (2CEPA) at 25 ppm. The corrosion characteristics have been determined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy together with determination of corrosion rate by weight-loss method. It has been observed that a combination of inhibitive ions, namely citrate, ZCEPA, and zinc ions at 25 ppm gives 96 per cent inhibition efficiency and this corrosion inhibition is due to the formation of a protective film. By increasing the concentration of citrate beyond 25 ppm, the corrosion inhibition efficiency decreases. This paper discusses the role of citrate and zinc ions in imparting added corrosion inhibition ability using 2CEPA on the basis of experimental results