Abstract
In this study, 2-(o-Hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole (HPB) was synthesized, characterized and tested as a new corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in 1M HCl solution. Weight-loss, Spectrophotometric and potentiodynamic polarization measurements were applied to analyse the metal corrosion behaviour in the absence and presence of different concentrations of the inhibitor. Results obtained revealed that this compound has fairly good inhibiting properties for mild steel corrosion in 1M HCl solution, with efficiency of around 93 % at a concentration of 500 μM. The inhibition was of a mixed anodic–cathodic nature with predominance of anodic character. The film which is formed over the metal surface was analysed by FT-IR spectroscopy. Further examination using X-ray diffraction confirms the role of HPB as an effective corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in acid media.