Potassium ethyl xanthate as corrosion inhibitor for copper in acidic chloride solutions

The effect of potassium ethyl xanthate (EtX−) on the anodic dissolution of copper in acidic sodium chloride solutions was studied using voltammetry on a rotating disc electrode (RDE) and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) techniques. The compound used at 5 × 10−3 M concentration acts as a strong inhibitor against copper dissolution. The inhibitory action increases with an increase in pH of the solution. The influence of EtX− on the spontaneous dissolution of copper was also investigated. The EQCM measurements show that an increase in pH was accompanied by an increase of inhibition efficiencies of EtX−.