Hydrochloric Acid Inhibitor

Hydrochloric Acid Inhibitor Uses

Metal finishing, galvanising, and metal cleaning industries use inhibited hydrochloric acid to remove rust and scale from metals. Iron and steel react with oxygen and moisture in the air, forming insoluble basic (alkaline pH) iron oxides (rust) on the surface. Hydrochloric acid reacts with these solid, insoluble iron oxides, turning them into soluble iron chlorides that wash off.

However, the acid also reacts the underlying metal surface and causes corrosion. Consequently, steel producers add a hydrochloric acid corrosion inhibitor to mitigate the corrosion reaction, without impeding the rust removal reaction. Some users use inhibited acid to reclaim and reuse rusted used parts. Others use it to produce a clean, rust-free metal surface that they can then process further. For example, galvanisers and powder coaters remove the rust from structural steel before applying an anticorrosion coating.

Acid cleaners and picklers who use hydrochloric acid to remove rust and other unwanted surface contamination use hydrochloric inhibitors to improve the surface finish. Moreover, many finishers and coaters find that they experience fewer quality issues when using a hydrochloric acid inhibitor in their surface preparation.

Recent Issues In Acid Inhibitor Supply

Many users in the industry report that they can no longer obtain the flagship product from a major European acid corrosion inhibitors manufacturer. Moreover, many suppliers have had to increase their prices significantly, due to increased costs. Additionally, greater chemical regulatory pressures are impacting on the costs and availability of acid corrosion inhibitors. Despite moves towards a Globally harmonised system, chemical regulatory regimes remain divergent. Consequently, chemicals that are available in one part of the world may, in some cases, not be permissible in others. Multinational industries that use inhibited acid may find that their regular hydrochloric acid inhibitor is no longer available in some of their territories.

New Hydrochloric Acid Inhibitor

Brad-Chem have developed Brad-Chem 592. Brad-Chem 592 is a hydrochloric acid corrosion inhibitor with excellent performance and regulatory compliance profile. Our technical team have tested this product extensively against commonly used competitor products in concentrated and dilute hydrochloric acid. Brad-Chem 592 gave inhibitor efficiency results closely comparable to those of a well-known market leading product, which is now difficult to obtain in the EU.

We have tested the MDD weight loss corrosion inhibitor efficiencies and surface finish on the most commercially important mild and stainless steel types. Excellent results were obtained in all cases. We have formulated Brad-Chem 592 using the newest chemical technologies available and it is designed with improved toxicological profile in mind. This product does not release formaldehyde, is non-flammable, and does not carry a toxic classification by inhalation or skin contact. Moreover, we expect that this new corrosion inhibitor will be acceptable in most regulatory regimes.

Some acid corrosion inhibitor manufacturers have experienced cost increases and the prices of several competitor products have significantly increased. Concurrently, some industry users are finding competitor products more difficult to source, due to lower availability. We offer Brad-Chem 592 as a cost effective alternative with good continuity of supply.