Grafted Biopolymers as Corrosion Inhibitors

3 Biopolymers as Corrosion InhibitorsRelative Inhibition Potential of Biopolymers and Grafted Biopolymers

Rafaela C. Nascimento^1,*, Luana Barros Furtado², and Maria José O. C. Guimarães²

¹ LAQV-REQUIMTE, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, 7000–671, Évora, Colégio Luís António Verney,Portugal²Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, School of Chemistry, 21941–909, Rio de Janeiro, Athos da Silveira Ramos Avenue, Brazil ^*Corresponding author

3.1 Introduction

Corrosion, a serious problem in several industrial sectors, generates an annual worldwide cost of trillions of dollars, according to the NACE (National Association of Corrosion Engineers), especially in industrial processes in which the metal or metal alloy is exposed to different acid environments, which are quite corrosive [1–3].

One of the protective methods against corrosion is the use of inhibitors, a common and efficient practice, especially in acid media such as HCl and H₂SO₄ [4–7]. A number of industrial sectors use inhibitors as a protective measure against corrosion, including the oil and gas industry, which uses inhibitors throughout the supply chain, from upstream to downstream [8].

In recent years, heightened ecological awareness has prompted the search for sustainability and the implementation of increasingly rigid environmental regulations, as well as a growing interest in replacing traditional inhibitors, formed primarily by toxic substances that negatively impact human health ...