Inhibitor effect of sodium benzoate on the corrosion behavior of nanocrystalline pure iron metal in near-neutral aqueous solutions

Nanocrystalline iron coating was produced on carbon steel surface by pulse electrodeposition using citric acid bath. The grain size of a nanocrystalline surface was analyzed by X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical behavior of nanocrystalline iron coating in the presence of sodium benzoate was evaluated in 30 mg l^-1 NaCl + 70 mg l^-1 Na₂SO₄ aqueous solution using potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results were compared with that of the coarse-grained iron surface. The thermodynamic properties of the inhibitor adsorption were also determined. The results indicated that corrosion inhibition of sodium benzoate in near-neutral aqueous solution was increased as the grain size of iron was decreased from micro- to nanocrystalline surface. This was reported in terms of excess free energy of nanocrystalline surface.