<p>In deep coal mines, the highly corrosive environment poses a significant threat to the integrity and stability of grouted anchor cables used for roadway support. To address this challenge, this study investigates the mechanism of using corrosion inhibitors for mitigating corrosion in silicate-based grouting materials for anchor cables in a deep coal mining context. To this end, we studied the effect of three types of corrosion inhibitors (i.e., NaNO₂, nano-ZnO and ZnSO₄) added to the grouting materials by conducting compressive strength tests, polarization tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests on the test specimens. We also proposed a corrosion rate prediction model to anchor cables in deep coal mines and performed a numerical simulation study on the protection function of corrosion inhibitors. The results are as follows: (1) the incorporation of corrosion inhibitors into the grouting material effectively mitigates anchor cable corrosion; (2) oxidation-type corrosion inhibitors (NaNO₂) exhibit dual functionality, providing both corrosion inhibition and early strength enhancement, while precipitation-type corrosion inhibitors (nano-ZnO), when added in sufficient amounts, show significant corrosion inhibition but also induce retarding effects; (3) the protective film formed by ZnSO₄ on the surface of the anchor cable alters the corrosion mechanism of the substrate, transitioning from charge transfer control to a dual control mechanism involving both ion diffusion and charge transfer; (4) theoretical calculations suggest that the addition of corrosion inhibitors to the grouting material results in a maximum degradation of support strength not exceeding 10% over a 5-year service period. Furthermore, numerical simulations validate the effectiveness of corrosion inhibitors in enhancing the corrosion protection of the anchor cable.</p>