Inhibition effect of N-propargyl saccharin as corrosion inhibitor of C38 steel in 1 M HCl, experimental and theoretical study

• N-Propargyl Saccharin is an effective non-toxic corrosion inhibitor for steel in HCl. • Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that NPS is a mixed-type inhibitor. • Surface analysis by SEM/EDX confirms the protective effect of NPS. • Theoretical studies by DFT, MC and MD are compatible with experimental results. The corrosion inhibition method is the technique most used to reduce the cost of corrosion in the industrial field, especially in the acidic environment, in which the organic inhibitor has been widely used. For this, the corrosion inhibition of C38 steel in molar hydrochloric acid was examined using N-Propargyl Saccharin (NPS) as an inhibitor. Electrochemical and surface analyzes were performed to identify how this compound inhibits the corrosion of C38. The stark results showed that the inhibitors act as mixed types of inhibitors, reducing the anode and cathode current densities. In addition, this inhibitor improves the resistance to charge transfer of C38 steel, increasing the thickness of the protective layer when the concentration of the inhibitor has been increased. The thermodynamic parameters and the theoretical observations (DFT, MC, and MD) confirm the inhibitor's adsorption interaction with the metal surface.