A comprehensive electrochemical evaluation of the corrosion inhibition by sodium silicate on carbon steel

Sodium silicate (SS) is investigated as a sustainable green corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in saline environment under both static and dynamic flow conditions. Potentiodynamic scans and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy revealed that silica is both highly efficient in static and flowing water conditions (up to 98 and 99% resp.). An increased inhibition efficiency (IE) is seen as a function of silica concentration as a result of decreased defects in the resulting silica film (Mott-Schottky). The film forming behaviour changes at increasing flow speed, producing a more defect-rich structure at both low and high silica concentration, although showing improved IE at intermediate flow speed for low SS concentrations.