Corrosion inhibitors mainly function at the metal surface or the interfacial region between the solution and the surface. Thus surface science techniques that can probe the interfacial region in solution have great potential in the study of inhibitors. However the modern vacuum surface techniques which can probe the surface chemistry and structure in greatest detail must also be exploited. The in situ and ex situ techniques provide the opportunity to gain considerable insight into the mechanisms of corrosion inhibition. This paper discusses the problems in corrosion inhibition that can be attacked by surface techniques. It relates the problems to the mechanisms of corrosion and correlates these to current phenomenological models of how corrosion inhibitors function. The paper identifies considerable research opportunities and a bright future for surface science in corrosion inhibition.

Subject
Metal surfaces, Passive films, Adsorption, Surfaces, Molecular structure, Solutions, Oxide surfaces, Chemical inhibition, Film formation, Metals, Corrosion inhibitors, Surface science, Corrosion mechanisms
© 1990 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1990
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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