Abstract
A radiometric test method to measure the amount of adsorption of polar organic rust inhibitors was developed and is described. The choice of stearic acid for this initial work was made because of its known adsorption characteristics. The effect of several variables on the amount of adsorption was also studied. These variables included time of immersion, agitation vs. quiescent immersion, drainage time and temperature, and concentration. It was found that the amount of stearic acid adsorbed increased with time of immersion, when coupons were agitated as compared to quiescent immersion and with increased stearic acid content in the solution. The amount of stearic acid adsorbed was found to be independent of the drainage time and temperature. The results of this work indicate that the method may be extended to the study of the adsorption characteristics of petroleum sulfonates and other corrosion inhibitors.
