Exploring corrosion protection of Mg via ionic liquid pretreatment

We present the development of a 10–100 nanometer thick surface film upon pure Mg on exposure to an ionic liquid (IL) based on the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (TFSA) anion. This film formation is the result of the oxidative reactivity of the metal in the IL, with the subsequent effect of ultimately protecting the underlying metal from corrosion in aqueous chloride containing solution. Film formation was studied in the IL using an electrochemical droplet cell. It was seen that this film is adherent and subsequently facilitates appreciable protection against corrosion as judged by subsequent electrochemical testing in the form of potentiodynamic polarization and impedance spectroscopy, along with direct observation. The physical film morphology was studied by electron microscopy and focused ion beam.

The corrosion inhibition mechanism of new rare earth cinnamate compounds — electrochemical studies

A combination of linear polarisation resistance (LPR) and cyclic potentiodynamic polarisation (CPP) measurements demonstrated that the lanthanum-4 hydroxy cinnamate compound could inhibit both the cathodic and anodic corrosion reactions on mild steel surfaces exposed to 0.01 M NaCl solutions. However, the dominating response was shown to vary with inhibitor concentration. At the concentrations for which the highest level of protection was achieved, both REM-4 hydroxy cinnamate (REM being lanthanum and mischmetal) displayed a strong anodic behaviour for mild steel and their inhibition performance, including their resistance against localised attack, improved with time.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements and modelling were carried out so as to propose a simple electrical model and correlate the extracted parameters to the inhibition mechanism put forward for REM-cinnamate based compounds. The results supported the high corrosion inhibition performance of the compounds as well as the build-up of a protective film with time. Based on a two-layer model the results suggested that the upper layer of the inhibitor film seemed to offer less resistance to the diffusion of electrochemically active species than the highly resistive inner layer at the film/metal interface.

The nature of the surface film on steel treated with cerium and lanthanum cinnamate based corrosion inhibitors

The corrosion inhibition mechanisms of new cerium and lanthanum cinnamate based compounds have been investigated through the surface characterisation of the steel exposed to NaCl solution of neutral pH. Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to identify the nature of the deposits on the metal surface and demonstrated that after accelerated tests the corrosion product commonly observed on steel (i.e. lepidocrocite, γ-FeOOH) is absent. The cinnamate species were clearly present on the steel surface upon exposure to NaCl solution for short periods and appeared to coordinate through the iron. At longer times the Rare Earth Metal (REM) oxyhydroxide species are proposed to form as identified through the bands in the 1400–1500 cm⁻¹ region. These latter bands have been previously assigned to carbonate species adsorbed onto REM oxyhydroxide surfaces. The protection mechanism appears to involve the adsorption of the REM–cinnamate complex followed by the hydrolysis of the REM to form a barrier oxide on the steel surface.

Corrosion mitigation of mild steel by new rare earth cinnamate compounds

Corrosion rate measurements based on weight loss (i.e., mild steel immersed for seven days in 0.01 M NaCl) and linear polarization resistance (LPR) techniques have shown that even low concentrations (200 ppm) of cerium and lanthanum cinnamates are able to significantly inhibit corrosion. Of all the compounds investigated in this work Ce(4-methoxycinnamate)3· 2 H2O and La(4-methoxycinnamate)3· 2 H2O compounds exhibited the greatest inhibition and, in comparison with the component inhibitors, a synergy was clearly observed. The mechanism of corrosion inhibition was investigated using cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP) measurements. The results suggest that La(4-nitrocinnamate)3· 2 H2O and Ce(4-methoxycinnamate)3· 2 H2O behave as mixed inhibitors and improve the resistance of steel against localized attack.

Corrosion inhibiting coating

The present invention provides a corrosion inhibiting coating comprising a rare earth-based organic compound and/or a combination of a rare earth metal and an organic compound, a method of inhibiting corrosion involving the coating and a method of preparing said coating.

Heterometallic CeIII–FeIII–salicylate networks : models for corrosion mitigation of steel surfaces by the ′Green′ inhibitor, Ce(salicylate)3

The syntheses and structures of the novel Ce–Fe bimetallic complexes [{Fe(sal)₂(bpy)}₂Ce(NO₃)(H₂O)₃]·EtOH and [{Fe(sal)₂(bpy)}₄Ce₂(H₂O)₁₁][salH]₂·EtOH·3H₂O (salH₂ = salicylic acid) suggest Fe³⁺–sal²⁻ units and Ce–OC(R)O–Fe bridging contribute to the formation of corrosion inhibitive layers on steel surfaces exposed to [Ce(salH)₃(H₂O)].

ATR characterisation of synergistic corrosion inhibition of mild steel surfaces by cerium salicylate

The nature of deposits on mild steel surfaces formed by exposure to corrosive and inhibiting solutions has been examined by attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy. For cerium-based inhibitors, e.g. CeCl₃ the formation of cerium-containing coatings was detected whilst the cerium carboxylate Ce(sal)₃ (sal=salicylate), which combines the Ce³⁺ with the known organic inhibitor sal⁻, was shown to involve substantial deposition of both cerium and a salicylate species. These results, combined with corrosion inhibition data for the respective inhibitor compounds clearly indicate a synergistic corrosion mechanism for Ce(sal)₃ which underpins the improved performance of this corrosion inhibitor in comparison to the individual components (i.e. Na(sal) or CeCl₃).

Effect of increased temperature on erosion-corrosion under turbulent conditions in Bayer liquor

A study of the behaviour of mild steel in synthetic Bayer liquor at 25 °C and 95 °C showed that turbulent conditions had a small effect on the anodic currents at 25 °C, but caused large increases in currents at 95 °C. This may be due to the increased solubility of magnetite at the higher temperature.

Concentration monitoring and performance of a migratory corrosion inhibitor in steel-reinforced concrete

Inhibitor concentration depth profiles for concrete samples treated with a proprietary migratory corrosion inhibitor (of the Cortec MCI range) are presented. The treated concrete was cored and these cores were then sectioned and crushed before being immersed in distilled water to extract the available inhibitor. The amine concentrations were quantified using an ammonium-sensing electrode and were then related to the inhibitor concentration present. The inhibitor examined, reported to contain a combination of volatile amines and amino carboxylate compounds, was found to readily diffuse through concrete. The inhibitor was subjected to a 5-year trial and found to be effective in suppressing corrosion of steel reinforcement in the presence of high chloride concentrations. The concentration profiles indicate that only relatively low concentrations of inhibitor were required to achieve inhibition in this case.