Copper corrosion in sodium dodecyl sulphate solutions and carbon nanotube nanofluids: A modified Koutecky–Levich equation to model the agitation effect

► Performed potentiodynamic polarization on copper electrode with SDS and CNT solutions. ► Implemented Koutecky–Levich equation and modified its application to fit polarization data. ► Low SDS concentration reduces copper corrosion current density and agitation increases it. ► CNT in SDS solution reduces copper corrosion current density with no observed agitation effect. Copper corrosion in sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) solutions and carbon nanotube (CNT) nanofluids were studied by potentiodynamic polarization. For the corrosion current densities calculations, Koutecky–Levich equation was modified to model the combined charge and mass transport. 0.005 M SDS reduced the copper corrosion current density by 81%. Higher SDS concentrations enhanced corrosion. Stirring SDS solutions increased the corrosion current density by ∼75%. By adding CNT to SDS solution, the corrosion current density first decreased and then remained constant. Stirring CNT nanofluids didn’t change the corrosion current density. An adsorbed CNT layer on copper controlled the corrosion process in CNT nanofluids.