Polymeric corrosion inhibitors for oil and gas industry

Over the years, the oil and gas industries have been bedridden with the problem of metallic structure's corrosion. The consequences of corrosion are enormous, ranging from financial to life lost. The use of corrosion inhibitors is, perhaps, the most cost-effective approach. Inorganic particularly chromate-rich inhibitors have been very effective in retarding metals corrosion but recent legislation imposed by the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals has prohibited their continuous use. Organic compounds having heteroatoms and/or p electrons were intended to replace the inorganic corrosion inhibitors, but their rigorous synthesis route and high cost are the major setbacks. Polymers, both naturally occurring and synthetic, are at present considered best alternative to both inorganic and organic corrosion inhibitors. In this chapter, polymeric corrosion inhibitors used for industrial processes such as chemical cleaning and acidizing are examined. Also considered are polymeric inhibitors used in hostile environments like the sweet and sour media as well as those used for high-temperature applications. The shortcomings of polymeric inhibitors as well as the future research direction have been highlighted.