The effect of benzenethiol and its methyl, amino, and carboxylic ring substituted derivatives, benzylthiol and thioglycollic acid on the electrochemical and corrosion behavior of zinc in CH3000H, H2SO4, and HCI solutions was studied using the galvanostatic technique. In CH3000H, compounds which function by an adsorption mechanism were found to have inhibitive effects on the corrosion of zinc, while those functioning by surface chelation were ineffective. In H 2SO4 and HCI, with the exception of o-methylbenzenethiol (H 2SO4 and HCI) and benzylthiol (H2SO4 ), all investigated compounds were found to accelerate zinc dissolution. Adsorption of the inhibitors followed the Langmuir isotherm, and the mechanism of both the hydrogen evolution reaction and zinc dissolution were found to be the same in the uninhibited and inhibited states.
Experimental
Corrosion InhibitorsReagent grade (Fluka AG, Buchs SG Switzerland) benzenethiol ortho, meta, and para methylbenzenethiols, ortho and para aminobenzenethiols, thiosalicylic acid and its methyl ester, benzylthiol and thioglycollic acid were used without further purification. The inhibitor solution was prepared by dissolving the appropriate amount in 10 ml of redistilled methanol. The desired volume was added to the electrolyte (200 ml).Electrolytes 0.5N CH3000H (pH 3.0), 0.5N H 2SO4 (pH 0.8), and 0.1N HCI (pH 1.1) were prepared from the Analar reagent and bidistilled water and were deaerated by 02 free nitrogen for at least 6 hours. The pH of these solutions was adjusted by adding NaOH to the desired value.
Zinc SpecimensSpecimens were cut from extra pure zinc rods 0.5 cm in diameter. These were cast from extra pure granular zinc (Merck) by vacuum melting) and were inserted into Teflon mounts so that the flat surface was in contact with solution.