Electrochemical and analytical characterization of three corrosion inhibitors of steel in simulated concrete pore solutions

Corrosion inhibitors for steel, such as sodium phosphate (Na₃PO₄), sodium nitrite (NaNO₂), and benzotriazole (BTA), in simulated concrete pore solutions (saturated Ca(OH)₂) were investigated. Corrosion behaviors of steel in different solutions were studied by means of corrosion potential (E_corr), linear polarization resistance (LPR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP). A field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) was used for observing the microstructures and morphology of corrosion products of steel. The results indicate that, compared with the commonly used nitrite-based inhibitors, Na₃PO₄ is not a good inhibitor, while BTA may be a potentially effective inhibitor to prevent steel from corrosion in simulated concrete pore solutions.