The corrosion inhibition performance of a diissocyanate-imidazole based organic compound during acid cleaning of MSF desalination plant

Inorganic scale formation is a common issue in multi-stage flash (MSF) desalination plants, significantly impacting operational efficiency. To address this, acid cleaning is frequently employed, but it can lead to severe corrosion of alloy components if not properly controlled with corrosion inhibitors. This study investigates the effectiveness of toluene-2,4-diisocyanate-4-(1H-imidazole-ly) aniline (TDIA) as a corrosion inhibitor for 304L stainless steel in a simulated acid cleaning solution (1M HCl and 3.5 % NaCl). A range of tests, including electrochemical analysis, weight loss measurements, and surface characterization techniques such as AFM, EDS, and SEM, were used to assess the inhibitor's performance at temperatures of 25, 45, 65, and 90 °C. At a concentration of 50 ppm, TDIA achieved inhibition efficiencies of around 90% at 25 °C and above 80% at 90 °C, demonstrating effective protection across all temperatures studied. The adsorption behavior of TDIA followed the Langmuir adsorption model, and it acted as a mixed-type inhibitor by forming a protective layer on the metal surface, which prevents corrosive agents from accessing the steel. The dual-environment testing method, simulating conditions in desalination plants, offers valuable insights into the inhibitor's practical performance, enhancing the applicability of these findings to real-world industrial scenarios. •The performance of TDIA against 304L stainless steel corrosion in a simulated acid-cleaning solution was evaluated.•TDIA performed admirably at all temperatures tested, exhibiting an efficiency of over 95 % at 50 ppm concentration.•The PDP study demonstrated that TDIA exhibited a largely mixed-type inhibition behaviour.•The adsorption behavior of TDIA was shown to conform to the Langmuir adsorption model.