The rate of the copper(II)/iron cementation reaction in the presence of surfactant (SAS) was determined by measuring the rate of cementation of copper on a rotating Fe cylinder from a CuSO4 solution in the absence and the presence of SAS using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The rate of cementation reaction is decreased by an increasing concentration of SAS, temperature and number of rotation. It is found that the order of the rate of decrease of the cementation reaction in the presence of SAS is as follows, Triton X-100 < SDS < SOS. The rate of the cementation reaction was also found to decrease with the addition of small amounts of alcohol. In the presence of alcohol, the amount of decrease ranged from 11.47 to 47.8% depending on the type and as well as the concentration of alcohol used. The effect of mixed surfactant (SAS) on cementation reaction was given. Thermodynamic parameters DeltaH*, DeltaS*, and DeltaG* were calculated. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier Inc.