For protecting mild steel from corrosion, amino-trimethylidenephosphon
ic acid (ATMP) was more effective than 1-hydroxyethylidene diphosphoni
c acid (HEDP), N.N-dimethylidenephosphonoglycine (DMPG), 1-ethyl-phosp
honoethylidenediphosphonic acid (EEDP), and ethylenediaminetetramethyl
idenephosphonic acid (EDTMP). A 20-min treatment in 1.0 mol/L of ATMP
with a pH 0.23 at 45-degrees-C formed an anti-corrosive complex film t
hat was composed of 48.4% O,28.6% P, 7.0% Fe, 4.3% N, and 11.7% C, bas
ed on x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy
From differences in binding energies of Fe, N, and O, in the shift of
C-N and P-O vibration, in the reflection FTIR spectra, and in the cha
nge of P-OH and Fe-N vibration before and after film formation, it was
deduced that N and O in ATMP were coordinated with Fe2+ in the film.