Benzimidazole Derivatives as Copper Alloy Corrosion Inhibitors

Seawater is a corrosive medium that adversely affects on the metallic structures. For that reason, it is often desirable to use some type of corrosion protection to extend the life of structures. The aim of this work was to examine the possibility of CuNi alloy protection in artificial seawater by four benzimidazole derivatives: 2-amino-5(6)nitrobenzimidazole, 2-amino-5-(6)-cyanobenzimidazole, 2-aminobenzimidazole, 2-amino-5(6)-(2-imidazolinyl)benzimidazole hydrochloride. The corrosion studies conducted by polarization measurements after 1 h of immersion in inhibitor solution showed that the most effective inhibitor is 2-amino-5(6)-nitrobenzimidazole. The electrochemical tests were also performed in time by the means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for the two most effective inhibitors. The surface of samples was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. It was concluded that the efficiency of studied inhibitors increases with prolonged exposure of the CuNi alloy to inhibitor solutions as well as with the increase of inhibitor concentration.