Influence of Benzotriazole and Cerium Chloride on Anticorrosion Performance of Cu-0.25Se-0.25Te Alloy in 3.5 wt% NaCl Solution

Abstract

The effect of the addition of benzotriazole (BTA) or cerium chloride separately and in combination on the anticorrosion performance of Cu-Se-Te alloy in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution has been investigated. The results show that the addition of either BTA or cerium chloride significantly reduces the corrosion rate of Cu-0.25Se-0.25Te, but BTA exhibits a better inhibition effect. Meanwhile, scanning electron microscope analysis displays that the separate addition of BTA or cerium chloride makes the depth of corrosion pit of the sample decrease and the corroded surface smooth. With the combination of BTA and cerium chloride rising, the surface of the sample becomes much flatter and no obvious corrosion pit is found. Energy dispersive spectrum and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses suggest that when BTA and cerium chloride are added together, CeO2, Ce(OH)3, or complex formed by Ce and BTA might deposit on the surface of copper alloy, which induces the passivation film on the surface of the alloy to become denser and enhances the binding strength of the interface between the surface film and the matrix, thus improving the corrosion inhibition performance of the complex system.