Control the corrosion of mild steel using synthesized polymers based on polyacrylamide

Abstract

In this work polyacrylamide (PACM) was prepared by radical polymerization technique using ammonium persulfate (APS) as initiator under nitrogen atmosphere. The viscosity average molecular weight of the prepared PACM was found to be 177858. The free amino groups of PACM, poly(2-methoxyaniline) was grafted by the oxidation of 2-methoxyaniline using APS in acidic medium under nitrogen atmosphere. The grafting percent is found to be 96%. The morphology of the obtained PACM and PACM-g-P2-MeOANI was studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The grafting process enhances the morphology of both PACM and poly(2-methoxyaniline). The inhibiting effect of the three polymers on the mild steel corrosion in the 1.0 M HCl as aggressive environments have been measured gravimetrically at three different temperatures 25, 40 and 55 °C and electrically at 25 °C. The inhibition efficiencies of the three tested polymers were found to increase with temperature. The poly(2-methoxyaniline) is the most effective one as a corrosion inhibitor at all tested temperatures. The adsorption behavior of the polymers was found to follow Villamil isotherm and the values of the change in free energy refer to a mixed chemical and physical adsorption on the steel surface. Tafel curves indicate that the tested polymers act as mixed anodic and cathodic inhibitor. The double layer capacitance was found to decrease with increasing the inhibitor concentration.