Conversations with a neural network. 1. The concept of a corrosion inhibitor and related definitions

• N.N. Andreev and S.S. Vesely

Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 31-4, Leninsky prospect, 119071 Moscow, Russia

Abstract: This article, presented as a dialogue between the authors and the ChatGPT artificial intelligence system, compares widely used normative definitions of the term “corrosion inhibitor” and proposes a refined formulation. Particular attention is paid to limitations of the ISO 8044:2024 definition associated with the requirement that an inhibitor be present in the corrosion system and with the absence of an explicit distinction between changes in the bulk environment and those in the near-surface region. It is shown that, to account for the protection after-effect of preliminary inhibitor treatment, it is appropriate to define an inhibitor through its action on the metal or the corrosion system. The distinction between inhibition, conversion treatment, and protection by applied bulk-phase coatings is considered. For this purpose, working definitions of a chemisorbed layer, a conversion coating, and a bulk-phase anticorrosion coating are proposed. On this basis, a refined definition of a corrosion inhibitor is formulated that excludes substances and materials whose protective action is associated with a significant change in the concentration of corrosive components in the bulk environment, formation of conversion coatings, or application of bulk-phase anticorrosion coatings.

Keywords: corrosion inhibitor, definition, corrosion system, protection after-effect, chemisorbed layer, conversion coating, bulk-phase anticorrosion coating, artificial intelligence

Int. J. Corros. Scale Inhib., 2026, 15, no. 3, 582-587
doi: 10.17675/2305-6894-2026-15-3-27

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