Electrochemical characterization and surface morphology techniques for corrosion inhibition—a review

This review article outlines the set of observations and findings from some previous publications that addressed the different techniques used for understanding and evaluating metallic corrosion and its retardation by using different inhibitors. The main emphasis is on the different electrochemical characterization techniques and surface analysis methods used for studying corrosion inhibition. A brief about polarization, electrochemical noise, electrochemical frequency modulation, impedance study for electrochemical characterization techniques and contact angle, scanning electrochemical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy methods, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, etc. are included for a better understanding of corrosion inhibition phenomenon. The literature suggests that corrosion of metals and alloys is effectively controlled by the use of inhibitors having heteroatoms such as nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur. In this article, the papers from the last sixteen years i.e., from 1996 to 2021 are considered to get an insight into current methods for retarding corrosion. General introduction, mechanisms of corrosion along with factors affecting corrosion has also been described in the present article. Data collected in this review will be advantageous for researchers to get an idea about the basics and the recent techniques used in corrosion study.