Polarization Behavior and Corrosion Inhibition of Copper in Acidic Chloride Solution Containing Benzotriazole

Polarization behavior and corrosion inhibition of copper in acidic chloride solutions containing benzotriazole were studied. Pourbaix diagrams constructed for copper in NaCl solutions with different BTAH concentrations were used to understand the polarization behavior. Open circuit potential (OCP) depended not only on chloride concentration, but also on whether a CuBTA layer was formed on the copper surface. Only when the (pH, OCP) was located well in the CuBTA region of the Pourbaix diagram, a stable corrosion inhibiting CuBTA layer was formed, which was confirmed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and a long-term corrosion test. The OCP for the CuBTA layer decreased logarithmically with increasing [Cl] activity in the solution. A minimum BTAH concentration required to form a CuBTA layer for a given NaCl concentration and pH were determined from the Pourbaix diagram. It was found that 320 ppm BTAH solution could be used to form a corrosion-inhibiting CuBTA layer inside the corrosion pit in the sprinkler copper tube, successfully reducing water leakage rate of copper tubes. These experimental results could be used to estimate water chemistry inside a corrosion pit.