The influence of chloride ions and benzotriazole on the corrosion behavior of Cu37Zn brass in alkaline medium

This paper describes an investigation of the corrosion behavior of Cu37Zn brass in a solution of sodium tetraborate, at pH 10.0, with the addition of chloride ions and benzotriazole (BTA) inhibitor. The application of cyclic voltammetry has led to the conclusion that the anodic current densities increase with increase in immersion time in sodium tetraborate solution as well as in solutions of sodium tetraborate containing chloride ions of various concentrations. The values of anodic current density are considerably smaller in sodium tetraborate solutions with the addition of BTA compared with those in the inhibitor-free solution. The study also analyses the electrochemical behavior of Cu37Zn brass after various times of alloy exposure to BTA solution, as well as its behavior in BTA solutions of various concentrations. Also, the study describes the electrochemical behavior of Cu37Zn brass after the effect of Cl − ions, but subsequent to the formation of a polymeric protective film on the electrode surface.