The inhibition effect of some PEGs on carbon steel corrosion at 25 degrees C in 0.5N hydrochloric acid as corroding solution was evaluated by weight loss method and polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. In order to study the effect of polyethylene glycols' structure on the inhibition efficiency, different molecular weights (400, 1000, 4000, and 10,000 g mol(-1)) were selected. This work has demonstrated that polyethylene glycols have inhibition effect on corrosion process and their inhibition efficiencies are between 50 and 90%. The inhibition efficiencies are increased by increase of the inhibitors' concentration and molecular weight. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.