MECHANISMS OF ORGANIC INHIBITORS USED IN COOLING WATER CORROSION CONTROL

Use of heavy metal-based corrosion inhibitors is being curtailed by environmental restrictions. In many parts of the world, high levels of inorganic phosphates are also restricted. In answer to these restrictions, more environmentally acceptable programs based on organic compounds have come into use. Some of these organic compounds have long been used as scale inhibitors. This paper details how these compounds can also function as corrosion inhibitors under proper conditions. Their mechanism of action is discussed and the surface analytical and electrochemical techniques used for these investigations are described.