Abstract
Corrosion inhibition effect by cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), anionic polyoxyethylene octyl phenyl ether also known as Triton X-100 (Tx-100) and anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on carbon steel in acidic medium has been evaluated at different temperatures (25-65 degrees C) by weight loss method. The high affinity of surfactant molecules to adsorb onto interfaces is responsible for their applications in several interfacial systems. For this reason, surfactants can be used as good corrosion inhibitors in metallic surfaces. Surfactants as corrosion inhibitors are environmentally acceptable and are very economical and easily available. The anticorrosion efficiency of these surfactants increases with their concentration and reaches a maximum value around their critical micelle concentrations (CMCs). In presence of these surfactants, the adsorption of CTAB, SDS and Tx-100 on the carbon steel surface obeyed Langmuir adsorption isotherm equation. The influence of inhibitor concentration, solution temperature, and acid concentration on the corrosion rate of carbon steel has also been investigated. The deduced thermodynamic parameters for adsorption reveal a strong interaction between the inhibitor and carbon steel surface.