Corrosion Inhibition of Copper with Benzotriazole and Other Organic Surfactants

The corrosion behavior of copper with various organic inhibitors in aerated solutions at pH 1 to pH 2 was studied using a potentiostat. The inhibitors studied included benzotriazole (BTAH), hydroxy benzophenoximes, L-hydroxy-5-nonylacetonphenone oxime, and sodium octyl hydroxamate (SOH). BTAH was shown to be the most effective of the inhibitors tested. Morphology of the copper substrate after corrosion in the presence and absence of BTAH was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to identify the spectra of the adsorbed complexes (BTA). The surface film was identified as a polymeric Cu(I)-BTA complex that totally covered the copper surface, exhibiting strong corrosion inhibition. The formation of Cu(I)-BTA was found to have been accomplished after the adsorption of BTAH on the copper surface. The effect of annealing of copper plate on the rate of corrosion also was investigated, and results indicated that the annealed copper exhibited better corrosion resistance than copper plate that had not been annealed.