Kinetics of Mild Steel Corrosion in Aqueous Acetic Acid Solutions

The kinetics of mild steel corrosion in aqueous acetic acid solution has been investigated by weight loss and polarization techniques at 25, 35 and 45°C. The weight loss of mild steel at room temperature (25°C) has been found to be quite significant, indicating poor corrosion resistance in acetic acid. The maximum corrosion rate has been observed in 25% acetic acid solution at all three experimental temperatures. The decrease in corrosion rate after attaining a maximum value has been attributed to the deposition of corrosion product on the surface. Anodic polarization curves exhibit active behaviour at each concentration and temperature with a shift towards higher current density region and increased corrosion rates at higher temperatures. The cathodic polarization curves are almost identical irrespective either of the concentration of acetic acid or temperature. The results obtained by both the techniques are in good agreement, while the surface studies support the conclusions drawn from the weight loss method.