SYNERGISTIC INFLUENCE OF NITRITE ON INHIBITION OF MILD STEEL CORROSION IN CHLORIDE CONTAMINATED ALKALINE SOLUTION

Corrosion behavior of mild steel in chloride contaminated alkaline solution has been studied for the period up to 100days. Saturated Calcium hydroxide solution was used as alkaline solution and 0.5M NaCl solution was used to accelerate mild steel corrosion. The Charge transfer resistance Rct, Current density Icorr and inhibition efficiency values were obtained from tafel polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic technique for sodium nitrite, sodium citrate and sodium benzoate mixed inhibitors. The results were compared with nitrite inhibitive system. The combination of nitrite inhibitor along with benzoate and citrate inhibitors enhanced the durability of mild steel through formation of nanosized -Fe2O3 film on steel suface even in presence of high chloride contamination. The results obtained from gravimetric method proved that the 100 days exposure of mild steel in nitrite with citrate, nitrite with citrate and benzoate mixed inhibitors showed the maximum inhibition efficiency of 98% in comparison with nitrite inhibitive system alone (41.5%). The maximum corrosion resistance performance of these mixed inhibitors system was due to the formation of thick layer of nano : Fe2O3 fibrous film on steel surface.