Corrosion Behaviour of 316L Stainless Steel in CNTs–Water Nanofluid: Effect of Temperature

The inhibition behavior of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Gum Arabic (GA) on the corrosion of 316L stainless steel in CNTs–water nanofluid under the effect of different temperatures was investigated by electrochemical methods and surface analysis techniques. Thereby, 316L stainless steel samples were exposed to CNTs–water nanofluid under temperatures of 22, 40, 60 and 80 °C. Two concentrations of the CNTs (0.1 and 1.0 wt.% CNTs) were homogenously dispersed in deionized water using the surfactant GA and tested using three corrosion tests conducted in series: open circuit test, polarization resistance test, and potentiodynamic scans. These tests were also conducted on the same steel but in solutions of GA-deionized water only. Tests revealed that corrosion increases with temperature and concentration of the CNTs–water nanofluids, having the highest corrosion rate of 32.66 milli-mpy (milli-mil per year) for the 1.0 wt.% CNT nanofluid at 80 °C. In addition, SEM observations showed pits formation around areas of accumulated CNTs that added extra roughness to the steel sample. The activation energy analysis and optical surface observations have revealed that CNTs can desorb at higher temperatures, which makes the surface more vulnerable to corrosion attack.