Functional polyaspartic acid derivatives as eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution

To improve the corrosion inhibition efficiency of eco-friendly polyaspartic acid (PASP) for mild steel in acidic solutions, PASP/N-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole (PD-1) and PASP/N-(3-aminopropyl)-imidazole-co-n-dodecylamine (PD-2) were chemically synthesized by the facile ring-opening reaction of polysuccinimide. Inhibition efficiencies of PD-1 and PD-2 for mild steel in a 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution were investigated by electrochemical measurements (electrochemical impedance and polarization) and the weight loss method. In comparison with PASP, PD-1 and PD-2 show improved inhibition efficiencies due to the functional groups. In particular, PD-2 shows superior corrosion inhibition capacity, and the efficiency is up to 94% at a relatively low concentration of 100 mg L^-1 at 298 K, as determined by potentiodynamic polarization measurements. Surface analysis of mild steel with PD-2 as an inhibitor clearly indicates that the inhibitor molecules adsorb on the steel surface and efficiently inhibit the corrosion of mild steel. The present work provides very meaningful results in designing and preparing new polymer inhibitors with high inhibition efficiency.