Electrochemical and anticorrosion properties of 5-hydroxytryptophan on mild steel in a simulated well-acidizing fluid

The anticorrosion effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) on mild steel (MS) was investigated by gravimetric and electrochemical techniques. Two different concentrations (1 M and 15%) of hydrochloric acid were used to simulate well-acidizing fluid. The results show that 10 × 10−5 M 5-HTP is 96.1% efficient in 1 M HCl and 78.1% efficient in 15% HCl at 30 °C. The efficiency decreases as the temperature increases, reaching 66.9% and 39.8% in 1 M and 15% HCl, respectively, at 90 °C. When 5-HTP is blended with potassium iodide and glutathione, the efficiency increases to above 88% and 78% in 1 M and 15% HCl, respectively, at 90 °C. Increasing the 5-HTP concentration decreases the double-layer capacitance and increases the charge-transfer resistance. 5-HTP behaves as a mixed‐type corrosion inhibitor with anodic predominance and is spontaneously adsorbed on the steel surface. Physisorption of 5-HTP is best described by the Langmuir adsorption model and is also exothermic with a resultant decrease in the entropy of the bulk solution. The results of SEM/EDAX, FTIR and UV-VIS studies support the hypothesis that a protective film of 5-HTP forms on MS facilitated by O, N and CC functionalities.