Introduction to Corrosion Inhibitors

The use of chemical inhibitors to decrease the rate of corrosion processes is quite varied. In the oil extraction and processing industries, inhibitors have always been considered to be the first line of defense against corrosion. A great number of scientific studies have been devoted to the subject of corrosion inhibitors. However, most of what is known has grown from trial and error experiments, both in the laboratories and in the field.

Rules, equations or theories to guide inhibitor development or use are very limited. A synergism, or cooperation, is often present between different inhibitors and the environment being controlled, and mixtures are the usual choice in commercial formulations.