Experimental and theoretical investigation on the anti-corrosive potential of potassium ethyl xanthogenate for corrosion of mild steel in acidic media

Despite extensive research over the past several decades, effective inhibition of mild steel (MS) corrosion is still a challenging problem. Potassium ethyl xanthogenate (KEX) is well known in the mining industry for extracting various ores. Its applications in other fields, such as in the synthesis of unsymmetrical compounds, as surfactants, and in microbiology, have also been documented. However, surprisingly, its use in the prevention of corrosion of MS in acidic media has so far not been explored. We discovered that KEX is highly effective in preventing MS corrosion in acidic media. The interaction of KEX with MS was investigated using conventional electrochemical techniques, SEM, and EDX spectroscopy. Corrosion inhibition efficiency was 92.4% in 1M HCl and 98.1% in 1M H 2 SO 4 . Experimental results were validated with theoretical and computational studies. Graphical abstract Potassium ethyl xanthate (KEX) was successfully used as a corrosion inhibitor for mild steel dissolution in 1 M HCl and 1 M H 2 SO 4 media. KEX showed excellent inhibition efficiency between 92% to 98% in acidic media. The mode of adsorption on mild steel surfaces was mainly physisorption.