CORROSION - BEHAVIOR OF SOME METALS IN IM PURIFIED ALCOHOLS .1. FORMIC-ACID IMPURIFIER

This paper presents some studies on zinc, copper and steel corrosion b ehaviour in methanol and ethanol impurified with formic acid (0.0-0.2 mole/l concentration), using both the gravimetric and kinetic method o f Tafel slopes intersection (the polarization curves were traced in a potendostatic regime). The corrosion rate grows with the HCOOH concent ration. Under identical HCOOOH concentration conditions, the corrosion rate is smaller in ethanol. Under the most aggressive conditions (i.e . 0.2 mole/l HCOOH), copper is stable in both alcohols. while zinc and steel are stable only in C2H5OH.