| Abstract: | Some aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes have been studied as corrosion inhibitors for 3S aluminium (Al-Mn alloy) in KOH solutions. At constant alkali concentration the inhibitor efficiency increases with the concentration of the inhibitor, the order of efficiency in 0.1 M KOH + 1.0% inhibitor being: paraldehyde (13.3%) < formaldehyde ≦ propionaldehyde < crotonaldehyde < furfuraldehyde < vanillin < salicylaldehyde (74.8%); 0.5% benzaldehyde and 0.1% cinnamicaldehyde gave efficiencies of only 19.3% and 18.5%, respectively. The aldehydes appear to act by adsorption on the metal surface, preferably through the oxygen atom. The inhibitive efficiency of paraldehyde increases with the alkali concentration, the duration of immersion and the temperature; that of formaldehyde, cinnamic aldehyde, furfuraldehyde (and crotonaldehyde) increases with alkali concentration and time; that of salicylaldehyde and vanillin increases with time as well as with temperature, while the efficiency of propionaldehyde and benzaldehyde increases with alkali concentration. The activation energy for the corrosion process is generally higher in inhibited than in plain alkali in the case of formaldehyde, propionaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, benzaldehyde, cinnamicaldehyde and furfuraldehyde; with other inhibitors the E values are lower. Except vanillin and paraldehyde, all the inhibitors increase the corrosion potential of Al in 0.1 M KOH suggesting polarization of local anodes. The inhibitor efficiencies calculated from extrapolation of cathodic Tafel lines are in agreement with weight loss efficiencies. |
