Chitosan polymer as a green corrosion inhibitor for copper in sulfide-containing synthetic seawater

The influence of chitosan on the copper corrosion in sulfide polluted synthetic seawater (SSW) containing 20 ppm of sulfide has been investigated for the first time. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at the open circuit potential and weight loss measurements were employed to assess the corrosion inhibition ability of chitosan. The impedance studies revealed that in the presence of chitosan at various concentrations, the charge transfer resistance increases. At a concentration of 800 ppm, chitosan exhibited a corrosion inhibition efficiency of 89% following physical adsorption. The influence of temperature and immersion time was studied in sulfide-contaminated synthetic seawater and significant inhibition was observed even after 90 days. SEM-EDS studies confirm the absence of the deterioration products on copper surface.