The electrochemical behaviour of carbon steel in a wide range of concentrations (0.1-1 M) of gluconate and tartarate was studied by potentiodynamic and open circuit measurements. The results showed that the rate of height of corrosion increases with increasing of the concentration of organic acid salt. The results indicate that low carbon steel displays typical active to passive transition behavior in absence of chloride ions. The effect of scan rate, temperature and chloride ions on the behaviour of carbon steel in gluconate and tartarate solutions was studied. The corrosivity of carbon steel in tartarate was higher than in gluconate solutions. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.