Sodium Citrate as an Environmentally Friendly Corrosion Inhibitor of Steel in a Neutral Environment

In this work we investigated the inhibiting effect of sodium citrate, an environmentally safe corrosion inhibitor, on low-alloy steel 09G2S in a neutral environment using electrochemical methods. Potentiodynamic studies showed that sodium citrate reduces corrosion currents of 09G2S steel in a 0.1% NaCl solution and reaches its maximum efficiency at a concentration of 2.5 g/l. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results indicate the adsorption of citrate ions and the formation of a protective film, which probably consists of Fe-citrate complexes. The formation of a protective film on the steel surface in sodium citrate-inhibited solutions was confirmed by the results of scanning electron microscopy and EDX analysis. Hence, our research shows that sodium citrate has satisfactory anticorrosion properties and can be used as a basic component during the development of environmentally safe inhibitor compositions for the protection of low-alloyed carbon steels in neutral environments of recirculating water supply systems in petroleum refineries, petrochemical plants, and other industries.