Cefuroxime axetil: A commercially available drug as corrosion inhibitor for aluminum in hydrochloric acid solution

Cefuroxime axetil (CA) a prodrug was tested as corrosion inhibitor for aluminum in hydrochloric acid solution using thermometric, gasometric weight loss and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. Results obtained showed that this compound has a good inhibiting properties for aluminum corrosion in acidic medium, with inhibition efficiencies values reaching 89.87 % at 0.5 g / L . It was also found out that the results from weight loss method are highly consistent with those obtained by hydrogen evolution method and gasometric method; and all indicate that inhibitor efficiency increases with increasing inhibitor concentration. Cefuroxime axetil inhibited the corrosion of aluminum in solutions of HCl through the mechanism of physiosorption as confirmed by values of activation energy and free energy of adsorption. The adsorption of the inhibitor was also found to be spontaneous, exothermic and best fitted the Langmuir adsorption model. SEM analysis confirmed the existence of an absorbed protective film on the aluminum surface.