Effective use of surfactants for corrosion inhibition requires appropriate information about the application environment and metal as well as the properties of the surfactant. Surfactant adsorption, which is a prerequisite to corrosion inhibition by surfactant molecules, is dependent on the properties of the surfactant and metal as well as the solution environment. Among the most important surfactant and environmental factors that determine corrosion inhibition using surfactant molecules are the surfactant chain length, surfactant functional group, and the solution ionic strength. This paper presents amethodology and appropriate formulas that allow for the prediction of corrosion inhibition using surfactants of varying chain lengths and functional groups in solutions with varying ionic strengths.
Key Words: Surfactant, critical micelle concentration, adsorption, and corrosion inhibition