A Novel Series of Corrosion Inhibitive Polymers for Steel Protection

Abstract

Poly(o-aminophenol), poly(o-aminothiophenol), poly(m-anisidine) and polyaniline have been prepared by chemical oxidation of their monomers using ammonium persulfate at 0°C. The polymers were characterized and their structures confirmed using elemental analysis and spectrophotometric measurements (FTIR, UV-VIS, 1HNMR, MS, XRD and TGA). The polymers were evaluated as corrosion inhibitors for steel protection by measuring their corrosion rates in comparison with the previously prepared polyaniline and the control sample. The polymers show a high performance as efficient corrosion inhibitors, and promising results were achieved when the polymers were incorporated in various paint formulations to replace a major part of the inhibitive pigments and to replace the classical toxic corrosion inhibitors of low molecular weights and low melting points. These results are very important from an economic and safety points of view.