A new comprehensive electrochemical approach to corrosion inhibitor evaluation in neutral aqueous solutions has baen developed. It consists of using concurrently three different but complementary electrochemical methods. Linear polarization resistance (LPR), concentration-step potentiostatic (CSP) and constant-concentration potentiostatic (CCP)
methods are used to determine the overall corrosion rates, corrosion inhibition mechanism, and stability of the passive oxide film in the presence of corrosion inhibitors. This approach has been used successfully to evaluate corrosion inhibition of three organic inhibitor systems: a phosphonate-based corrosion inhibitor
(hydroxyphosphonoacetic acid, HPA), a polymeric corrosion inhibitor (polyacrylic acid, PAA) and a non-phosphorus containing corrosion inhibitor (L-tartaric acid). Short-term CSP/CCP test results for these three inhibitors are in good agreement with long-term weight loss measurements.
Keywords: electrochemical methods, corrosion inhibitors, pitting corrosion, cooling water