MOP as a Corrosion Inhibitor for Mild Steel in HCl Solution: A Comprehensive Study

Corrosion of mild steel in aggressive environments such as HCl solution poses significant challenges across industries. This research explores the potential of 4-(2-Mercapto-1,3,4-oxadiazole-5-yl)pyridine (MOP) as a corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in HCl solution. Notably, MOP exhibits an impressive inhibition efficiency of 93.6 % at an optimal concentration of 0.5 mM in 1 M HCl. The study comprises a comprehensive analysis, encompassing varying inhibitor concentrations (0.1 to 1 mM), immersion durations (1 to 48 hours), and temperatures (303 to 333 K). Corrosion rate quantification employs weight loss measurements. Additionally, adsorption isotherms unveil MOP's interaction with the mild steel surface. Importantly, Density Functional Theory (DFT) unravels intricate electronic and molecular interactions at the atomic scale. These findings underscore MOP's exceptional corrosion inhibition capacity, making it a promising candidate for mild steel corrosion control in HCl environments. The combined insights from weight loss measurements, adsorption isotherms, and DFT analysis provide a holistic understanding of the inhibition mechanism, opening doors for practical applications in corrosion management.