Efficiency of Steel Corrosion Inhibitors in an Environment of Ethanol-Gasoline Blends.

Ethanol produced from renewable sources (i.e., bioethanol) is a first-generation biofuel that is currently being added as a biocomponent into gasolines. Mixtures of ethanol and gasoline are designated as ethanol-gasoline blends (EGBs). Ethanol has high polarity and moisture affinity, which considerably influence the properties of the resulting EGBs including their aggressiveness to many metallic and nonmetallic materials. The corrosion aggressiveness of EGBs can be minimized by suitable corrosion inhibitors. In this study, we tested three different corrosion inhibitors on mild steel in the environment of aggressive E10, E25, E60, and E85 fuels. The inhibitors tested were diethylene triamine (DETA) and two mixed inhibitors containing propargyl alcohol, dibenzyl sulfoxide, and octadecyl amine. To study the efficiency of the corrosion inhibitors, we used static and dynamic corrosion tests and electrochemical measurements including impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization. The highest corrosion aggressiveness on mild steel was observed for the E60 fuel. The highest inhibitory efficiency was, for all the fuels tested, observed for the DETA inhibitor. For the DETA concentration of 100 mg·L-1, the inhibitory efficiency in the E60 fuel was determined to be around 98%.

Metal Corrosion and the Efficiency of Corrosion Inhibitors in Less Conductive Media.

Material corrosion can be a limiting factor for different materials in many applications. Thus, it is necessary to better understand corrosion processes, prevent them and minimize the damages associated with them. One of the most important characteristics of corrosion processes is the corrosion rate. The measurement of corrosion rates is often very difficult or even impossible especially in less conductive, non-aqueous environments such as biofuels. Here, we present five different methods for the determination of corrosion rates and the efficiency of anti-corrosion protection in biofuels: (i) a static test, (ii) a dynamic test, (iii) a static test with a reflux cooler and electrochemical measurements (iv) in a two-electrode arrangement and (v) in a three-electrode arrangement. The static test is advantageous due to its low demands on material and instrumental equipment. The dynamic test allows for the testing of corrosion rates of metallic materials at more severe conditions. The static test with a reflux cooler allows for the testing in environments with higher viscosity (e.g., engine oils) at higher temperatures in the presence of oxidation or an inert atmosphere. The electrochemical measurements provide a more comprehensive view on corrosion processes. The presented cell geometries and arrangements (the two-electrode and three-electrode systems) make it possible to perform measurements in biofuel environments without base electrolytes that could have a negative impact on the results and load them with measurement errors. The presented methods make it possible to study the corrosion aggressiveness of an environment, the corrosion resistance of metallic materials, and the efficiency of corrosion inhibitors with representative and reproducible results. The results obtained using these methods can help to understand corrosion processes in more detail to minimize the damages caused by corrosion.