Corrosion inhibition of mild steel in aqueous salt environments containing CO2 by thioglycolic acid (TGA) was studied using various electrochemical and analytical techniques. The inhibitor performance
and its inhibition efficiency at various concentrations and the effect of exposure time and pH of the solution were evaluated. The proposed mechanism of inhibition by TGA considers the complexity of
experimental data obtained by various techniques. This mechanism is discussed in terms of adsorption, protective film formation, and especially pH effect and the chemistry of the solution. The probability of
local attack caused by TGA is also taken into consideration.