The efficiency of a corrosion inhibitor on steel in a simulated concrete environment

Abstract The aim of the present work was to characterize the efficiency of a corrosion inhibitor on steel in a simulated concrete pore solution. Laboratory measurements were performed at various chloride and inhibitor concentrations in order to simulate different applications of the inhibitor when used for the protection or rehabilitation of steel reinforcement in concrete. Two electrochemical techniques, i.e. potentiodynamic polarization scans and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, were used for this study. The exposed surfaces of the steel specimens were subsequently investigated by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the inhibitor can efficiently retard the corrosion of steel in a simulated concrete pore solution at concentrations of the inhibitor >2.0% and of chlorides