Volatile inhibitor usage is a relatively recent development in the protection of metals against corrosion. The method of application consists in saturating the metal's storage space with vapors of an appropriate chemical compound, which forms a protective layer by adsorption on the metal surface.
In this investigation, the authors attempted to reveal the mechanism of protection by volatile inhibitors. They were also trying to devise methods of synthesizing new compounds with predictable inhibiting properties. Data reported herein are on amines and amine salts, particularly on hexamethyleneimine and its salts (benzoates, nitrobenzoates, etc.)
It was concluded that protection by volatile inhibitors is based primarily on accelerating the cathodic reaction to shift the steady-state potential of the metal in the positive direction beyond the potential region representing complete passivation. This method is not dependent on inhibition of the anodic process.
