The ifnluence of glycerol, glycol, cetyl alcohol, hexyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and phenolic compounds on the corrosion of commercial Al (2S) in 0·01 M and 0·1M NaOH solution has been studied. The anodic behaviour of Al in 0·1M NaOH in the presence of substances giving a corrosion inhibition efficiency of >70 per cent has been examined by the potentiostatic method. It has been found that in 1:1 glycerol-water and glycol-water mixtures, corrosion is inhibited to the extent of 80 per cent and that phenols giving >70 per cent inhibition efficiency are effective in the following order: quinol>phenol> p-cresol> o-cresol>pyrocatechol> o-nitrophenol. From the anodic polarization experiments, it is seen that considerable polarization of Al is brought about by additions of o-nitrophenol, quinol, pyrocatechol, phenol and o- and p-cresols to NaOH. In the case of glycerol-water and glycol-water mixtures at dilutions larger than 1:1, much higher limiting currents were delivered during potentiostatic polarization than in the case of phenols, though the corrosion inhibition was of the same order. Increase in the number of nitro groups in the phenol, as in picric acid, brings down the inhibition efficiency, and also the limiting current in anodic polarization.