Corrosion inhibition effect of expired ibuprofen drug on copper in sulfuric acid solution

Abstract

The application of copper as a material in various fields is widely recognized. However, in acidic environments, the electrical and mechanical properties of copper undergo negative alterations, resulting in its dissolution. To protect copper from degradation, the most effective approach is to employ inhibitors. Hence, in this paper, the expired ibuprofen drug has been investigated as a corrosion inhibitor for copper in 0.5 M H2SO4, employing weight loss and electrochemical tests. Compared with the pharmaceutical products used by other researchers in this field, the results showed that ibuprofen is highly effective in protecting copper from corrosion. It was noted that the inhibitory efficacy of ibuprofen increases with concentration. In addition, it was found that its adsorption follows Langmuir isotherm.