A cationic gemini-surfactant as effective inhibitor for mild steel in HCl solutions

A cationic gemini-surfactant, namely 1,4-bis (1-chlorobenzyl-benzimidazolyl)-butane (CBB) was synthesized and its inhibition effect on the corrosion of mild steel in 0.5 M HCl solution was investigated by weight loss and electrochemical techniques. The results showed that CBB acts as an excellent corrosion inhibitor in 0.5 M HCl by suppressing simultaneously the cathodic and anodic processes via chemical adsorption on the surface of steel, which followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The inhibition efficiency increased with the increase of CBB concentration and temperature. The adsorption mechanism of the compound was discussed in terms of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters deduced from the experimental data.