Inhibition of copper corrosion in acidic pickling solutions by N-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine

Inhibition of copper corrosion by N-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (NPPD) has been investigated in de-aerated, aerated, and oxygenated aqueous 0.50 M HCl solutions by using potentiodynamic polarization, potentiostatic current–time, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and weight-loss measurements, along with scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) experiments. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements showed that the NPPD molecules significantly decrease cathodic, anodic, and corrosion currents in all these solutions. Potentiostatic current–time measurements as well as SEM and EDX investigations of the copper surface revealed that NPPD suppresses the copper dissolution current due to its adsorption on the copper surface as a Cu(I)–NPPD complex. Impedance measurements also supported the results obtained from both the potentiodynamic and potentiostatic experiments. The inhibition efficiencies measured from polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and weight-loss experiments are all internally consistent with each other. These results together showed that NPPD is a good mixed-type inhibitor for copper corrosion in all solutions studied.