Inhibition effect of 1, 2, 3-benzotriazole on the corrosion of aluminium

Abstract

The inhibition effect of 1, 2, 3-benzotriazole on the corrosion of aluminium in 0.5 M HCl solution was
studied by potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) electrochemical
frequency modulation (EFM) methods. The results show that 1, 2, 3-benzotriazole is a good inhibitor at
different concentrations. Polarization curves reveal that inhibitor behaves as mixed-type inhibitor. EIS
spectra indicated that the addition of inhibitor increases the charge-transfer resistance of the corrosion
process, and hence the inhibition performance improved. Results obtained from EFM method are shown to
be in agreement with potentiodynamic and EIS methods. The adsorption of 1, 2, 3-benzotriazole on
aluminium surface obeys Frumkin adsorption isotherm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was
performed to characterize the film formed on the surface of metal. The reactivity of inhibitor was
performed through quantum chemical calculations based on DFT method to support the experimental data
with the molecular structure of inhibitor.