Novel eco-friendly glass synthesis as corrosion inhibitors for copper in sulfuric acid medium

Purpose This study aims to examine the potential of three novel inorganic compounds, namely, Bi 4 B 2 O 9 , Bi 2.4 B 1.2 Ba 0.4 O 5.8 and Bi 0.8 B 0.4 Ba 0.8 O 2.6 , as sustainable and environmentally friendly inhibitors for the mitigation of copper corrosion in a corrosive environment containing 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 . The objective of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of inorganic products with low concentrations and the impact of surface roughness generated by corrosion on copper, with the aim of improving its corrosion resistance. Design/methodology/approach In the present study, we tested bismuth-borate glasses as inorganic inhibitors. These glasses were prepared by the conventional melt-quenching method. To assess the inhibition processes, a number of techniques were used, including potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to study corrosion resistance, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to examine the microstructure of the copper surface. Findings The findings show that the three inhibitors studied have higher inhibition efficiencies at the optimum concentration (10 –3 M), reaching 90.1% for Bi 4 B 2 O 9 , 90.5% for Bi 2.4 B 1.2 Ba 0.4 O 5.8 and 90.8% for Bi 0.8 B 0.4 Ba 0.8 O 2.6 . Furthermore, the results suggest that the three products behave as mixed-type inhibitors. Tests using XRD, FT-IR, SEM/EDS and AFM revealed that the addition of the inhibitors to the acid solution significantly delayed the formation of Cu 2 O oxides. This led to the formation of a protective barrier that reduced damage to the copper metal surface, resulting in a smoother surface morphology. Originality/value The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of new inorganic corrosion inhibitors in preventing copper corrosion in an acidic solution containing H 2 SO 4 . Our research stands out by employing advanced techniques such as Potentiodynamic Polarization (PDP), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for a comprehensive analysis. The results demonstrate that the three inhibitors are highly effective in preventing copper corrosion. Additionally, this study provides novel insights into the varying impacts of these inhibitors on corrosion protection, highlighting their potential as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional inhibitors such as organic inhibitors.