Imidazolidine-2-thione as corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in hydrochloric acid

The inhibition effect of imidazolidine-2-thione (IMT) on the corrosion behaviour of mild steel (MS) in 1 N HC1 was studied using potentiodynamic polarization, linear polarisation resistance (LPR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and adsorption studies. The effects of inhibitor concentrations, temperature, corrosion rate and surface coverage are investigated. The corrosion rate and other parameters are evaluated for different inhibitor concentrations and the probable mechanism is also proposed. The results show that IMT possesses excellent inhibiting effect for the corrosion of the MS and the inhibitor acts as a mixed type inhibitor. The inhibitor does not affects the mechanism of the electrode processes and inhibits corrosion by blocking the reaction sites. The high inhibition efficiency of IMT was due to the adsorption of inhibitor molecules on the metal surface. The decrease of surface area available for electrode reactions to take place is due to the formation of a protective film. Activation energies and enthalpies of activation in the presence and absence of IMT were determined by measuring the temperature dependence of the corrosion current.