Experimental and Quantum Chemical Studies of the Inhibition of Copper with Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS) in Acidic Medium

Abstract

This work investigates the inhibitive properties of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) on the corrosion of copper (Cu) in nitric acid using gasometric methods. The inhibition efficiency increases with time and concentration of SDS. The corrosion rate of copper decreases as concentration of SDS increases. Adsorption of the SDS on the surface obeyed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The high negative values of the kinetic parameter B suggest that the inhibitor’s effectiveness increases with temperature. The equilibrium constant and the free energy of adsorption of SDS to copper are negative and large. This observation implies that the adsorption mechanism maybe chemisorption. The quantum chemical calculation of copper dodecyl sulphate shows that the energy change in the HOMO-LUMO energy of the moiety is positive and small. This observation implies that the SDS is an efficient inhibitor. The high dipole moment obtained implies that corrosion inhibition of Cu is enhanced by adsorption of SDS and this observation correlates with the observed experimental inhibition efficiency