EXPERIMENTAL AND QUANTUM STUDIES ON ADSORPTION AND CORROSION INHIBITION EFFECT OF IMIDAZOLE DERIVATIVES ON N80 STEEL IN HYDROCHLORIC ACID

The inhibition effect of synthesized N′-(phenylmethylidene)-2-(2-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)acetohydrazides, N′-(4-methylphenylmethylidene)-2-(2-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)acetohydrazides, and N′-(4-methoxyphenylmethylidene)-2-(2-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)acetohydrazides on the corrosion behaviour of N80 steel in 15% hydrochloric acid solution was investigated using weight loss, potentiostatic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods. The inhibition efficiency increased as the concentration of the inhibitors was increased. The effect of temperature on corrosion inhibition was investigated by weight loss method and thermodynamic parameters were calculated. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements show that all the three studied inhibitors act as mixed inhibitor. The adsorption of inhibitors on N80 steel surface obeys Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The structure of inhibitors was optimized using semiemperical AM1 method. Theoretical parameters such as the highest occupied molecular orbital (EHOMO), lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (ELUMO) energy levels, energy gap (ΔE = ELUMO - EHOMO), dipole moment (μ), global hardness (γ), softness (σ), binding energy, molecular surface area and the fraction of electrons transferred (ΔN) were calculated and the adsorption mechanism was discussed. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the surface marphology of the N80 steel.