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Novel Organic Corrosion Inhibitors for Steel--TDA Research, Inc., 12345 West 52nd Avenue, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-1917; 303-940-2300
Dr. Bryan M. Smith, Principal Investigator
Mr. John D. Wright, Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-98ER82690
Amount: $750,000
Advanced, energy efficient heat transfer cycles for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems employ corrosive working fluids. To make these processes economically competitive with traditional HVAC systems, the corrosion must be controlled. This project will develop novel organic inhibitors that prevent the corrosion of copper and stainless steel from one of these working fluids, aqueous potassium acetate. After initial synthesis and testing of the proposed materials, additional inhibitor candidates will be identified, by combining molecular modeling with experimental electrochemistry. In Phase I, a wide variety of quinoneamine based corrosion inhibitors were synthesized and their effect on the corrosion of mild steel by aqueous potassium acetate was measured. Inhibitor performance was correlated with molecular properties in order to identify the critical molecular properties that control inhibitor performance. The best inhibitors performed better than commercial inhibitors that were also tested. In Phase II, several corrosion inhibitors will be tested for their anti-corrosion properties by electrochemical methods. Molecular modeling will be used to optimize the correlation of inhibitor performance with molecular properties. Pilot samples will then be made, for evaluation by potential users, and the benefits of inhibited, potassium-acetate, heat transfer systems will be quantified.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: These new, inexpensive inhibitors should be useful wherever steel surfaces are exposed to a corrosive environment. Centralized cooling devices should be able to use the more efficient acetate-based heat transfer fluids while the additives should allow heating and cooling systems, based on energy efficient advanced absorption cycles, to compete with conventional systems.