Effectiveness of Inhibitors on Rebar Corrosion in Simulated Concrete

Corrosion of reinforcing steel embedded in concrete is becoming a significant structural and financial problem worldwide as it leads to a significant loss of life and economy. Different methods have been proposed to combat reinforced corrosion in concrete structures. Corrosion inhibitors may be a good way to control reinforcing steel corrosion because they are easy to apply and less costly compare to other preventive techniques like coating, electrochemical chloride removal or cathodic protection. This paper studies the inhibitor efficiency of sodium nitrite (NaNO2) and aminoalcohol based inhibitors when they are used in reinforced cement mortars. Electrochemical monitoring of half-cell potential (HCP) and weight loss experiment were performed in 3.5% NaCl medium in order to obtain inhibitor information on the corrosion behavior of the reinforcing steel in cement mortar. Results showed better inhibitor efficiency in presence of inorganic sodium nitrite based inhibitor compare to organic aminoalcohol based inhibitor.