[Truncated abstract] Corrosion of steel structures caused by sulphide is a common engineering problem encountered by many industries, such as the petroleum, chemical processing, mining and mineral processing industries. The control of sulphide corrosion is still a controversial topic among corrosion engineers. There is an absence of guideline for a reliable acceptable limit of sulphide level in service and each processing industry has its own empirical values. Selection of inhibitors in the sulphide environment depends on laboratory testing before its actual application in pipelines and reaction vessels. Many investigators have postulated the corrosion mechanisms due to sulphide based on operating envelopes such as pH, chloride, manganese, hydrogen sulphide, sulphate reducing bacteria levels and inhibitor concentration. It is recommended in the literature that the batch dosing of inhibitor and biocide needs to be evaluated in regards to sulphide reducing bacteria (SRB) level, which may produce sulphide concentrations up to 2000 ppm. Although sulphide scale formation may protect the base metal by providing a physical barrier, the detrimental effects of sulphide are often inevitable, such as stress corrosion cracking, hydrogen embrittlement, etc. Currently, there are many chemicals that are used as inhibitors to prevent corrosion by scavenging the sulphide from the environment. Cerium, a rare-earth element, is not used as inhibitor in the sulphide environment. Also, there are no previous research findings on the effects of compounds of rare-earth metals, such as cerium chloride (CeCl3), in sulphide environment. This research examines the corrosion behaviour of 0.4Mo-0.8Cr steel, a High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) steel, in sulphide-polluted artificial seawater with the addition of CeCl3 and glutaraldehyde. ... It is postulated that the moderate inhibiting effect of CeCl3 is due to the scavenging effect thereby forming Ce2S3 complex. Further reaction of sulphide with steel resulted in ferrous sulphide, leading to an increased corrosion rate. It is also concluded that the CeCl3 interferes with both anodic and cathodic reactions in deaerated conditions. Addition of glutaraldehyde in the sulphide-polluted seawater was found to decrease the corrosion rate. According to the electrochemical measurements conducted, the concurrent addition of glutaraldehyde and CeCl3 appeared to have an added effect on reducing the corrosion of the steel, as evidenced by the increase of the open circuit potential during the short-term testing. From the weight loss measurements after 60 days, sulphide pollution in deaerated seawater was found to increase corrosion rate. This is attributed to the increase of sulphide activity whereby continual dissolution of steel was encountered. From the weight loss tests, it was found that the addition of CeCl3 and glutaraldehyde reduced the corrosion rate of the steel in the solutions containing 0-10 ppm sulphide. There is no noticeable corrosion rate decrease for the solution containing 100 ppm sulphide. The added effect of CeCl3 and glutaraldehyde to the SRB medium has resulted in lower corrosion rates. Further detailed experimentation is required to elucidate the corrosion reduction mechanism in glutaraldehyde-containing environments.

Ce manuscrit décrit la synthèse et la conception de 3 nouvelles familles de molécules, les [alpha],[alpha]-diméthylamines, les 6-nitroaminopyridines et les benzimidazoles substitués. L’étude des [alpha],[alpha]-diméthylamines nous a amené à développer une voie de synthèse originale en utilisant les propriétés chimiques du chlorure de cérium, qui, lorsqu’il est complexé avec un organolithien permet d’alkyler deux fois une fonction nitrile. Une étude exhaustive des propriétés chimiques du cérium et du chlorure de cérium en synthèse organique a également été menée. La synthèse totale de la 6-nitro-2-aminopyridine nous a amené à développer une voie de synthèse générale permettant de conduire aux différents isomères de position de ce composé. Cette voie a également été optimisée et transposée à une unité de synthèse de 50L. Les différentes conditions réactionnelles de cyclisation de diamines fonctionnalisées nous ont permis de synthétiser des séries de 5 benzimidazoles fonctionnalisés : les benzimidazoles, les 2-méthylbenzimidazoles, les benzimidazolones, les 2-chlorobenzimidazoles et les 2-mercaptobenzimidazoles. Une revue exhaustive des différentes méthodes de préparation de ces benzimidazoles est également détaillée et ont servi de base à ce travail de synthèse. / The present report describes the design and the synthesis of 3 new family of molecules, the [alpha],[alpha]-dimethylamines, the 6-nitroaminopyridines and substituted benzimidazoles. The study of [alpha],[alpha]-dimethylamines devellop an original synthetic route using the chemical properties of cerium chloride, witch can alkyl two times a nitril fonction when it is complexed with organolithium reagent. Also, an exhaustive study was carried on chemical properties of cerium and cerium chloride in organic synthesis. The total synthesis of 6-nitro-2-aminopyridine bring us to devellop a general synthetic route leading to different position isomeres of this compound. Also, this route was optimized and transposed to a 50L synthesis unity. The different conditions of cyclisation of substituted diamines allowed us to synthetise 5 series of fonctionnalized benzimidazoles : the benzimidazoles, the 2-methylbenzimidazoles, the benzimidazolones, the 2-chlorobenzimidazoles and the 2-mercaptobenzimidazoles. An exhaustive review of the different methods for preparing benzimidazoles was carried and was the basis for this synthetic work.