Enhancing of Corrosion Inhibition and the Biocidal Effect of Phosphonium Surfactant Compounds for Oil Field Equipment

It is well known that tetra hydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate (THPS) is commonly used in oil fields as a biocide for sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), but it has low corrosion inhibition. In this study, four phosphonium surfactant compounds were synthesized via a coupling reaction between THPS and different fatty acids namely: decanoic, dodecanoic, palmitic and stearic acids to produce the corresponding surfactants. The chemical structure of the synthesized surfactants was confirmed using FTIR and 1 H-NMR spectroscopy. The surface activity of the prepared compounds was determined by surface tension measurements. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of each surfactant compound was determined. The corrosion inhibition of the synthesized compounds on carbon steel in 0.5 M HCl was studied by weight loss measurements, potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The effect of the inhibitor concentration and hydrophobic chain length on the their efficiency was also studied. It was found that the CMC of each compound depends on its chemical structure. It was also found that the corrosion inhibition efficiency depends on both of concentration and molecular structure of the inhibitors. Polarization curves revealed that the inhibitors used represent mixed-type inhibitors, which hinder the cathodic and anodic parts of the corrosion reaction in acidic media. Adsorption of used inhibitors leads to a reduction in the double layer capacitance and an increase in the charge transfer resistance. Also the biocidal effect of these compounds was enhanced.