The effects of single OP and the mixture of various concentrations of OP and 0.1 M NaCl on the corrosion of cold-rolled steel in 1.0-3.5 M phosphoric acid have been investigated by using weight loss method and polarization method. This study revealed that cold-rolled steel in phosphoric acid has been more efficiently inhibited by OP in the presence of NaCl than single OP, and inhibition efficiency increases with increasing concentration of OP at the same temperature, but decreases with increasing temperature studied. A synergistic effect exists when OP and chloride ion are used together to prevent cold-rolled steel corrosion in 1.0-3.5 M phosphoric acid at every experimental temperature. The polarization curves showed that OP is a cathodic inhibitor, while the complex of OP and NaCl is a mixed-type inhibitor that mainly inhibits the cathodic corrosion of the steel. The experimental results suggested that the presence of chloride ion in the solution stabilized the adsorption of OP molecules on the metal surface and improved the inhibition efficiency of OP. The adsorption of single OP follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, and the adsorption of the complex accords with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm too. Some thermodynamic parameters such as adsorption heat, adsorption entropy and adsorption free energy have been calculated by employing thermodynamic equations. Kinetic parameters such as apparent activation energy and pre-exponential factor have been calculated and discussed. In 1.5-3.5 M phosphoric acid, the concentration pre-exponential factor and acid concentration constant have been calculated, and the synergistic effect has been observed too. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.