An eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor Cuscuta reflexa extract and PEG400 for mild steel inhibition in acidic medium: computational and experimental investigations

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2023-09, Vol.30 (44), p.98701-98717
• Main Authors: Pahuja, Priti, Yadav, Meena, Dhanda, Monika, Arora, Rajat, Ahlawat, Simran, Satija, Ajay, Jhanjhariya, Neeru, Kumar, Sumit, Lata, Suman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Advanced Materials for Energy & Applications; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Atomic force microscopy; Computer applications; Corrosion; Corrosion inhibitors; Corrosion mechanisms; Corrosion prevention; Cuscuta reflexa; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Electrochemistry; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Fourier transforms; Gravity; Hydrochloric acid; Infrared spectroscopy; Low carbon steels; Metal surfaces; Microscopy; Polyethylene glycol; Scanning electron microscopy; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23842-8

Herein, the mechanism of corrosion prevention of mild steel (MS) by extract of Cuscuta reflexa / Amarbel (AME) as green inhibitor is explained by gravitational, electrochemical measurements. The viability of neat extract and after adding an intensifier was investigated as corrosion inhibitor for MS in hydrochloric acid. The presence of electron-rich moieties in AME was characterized through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Furthermore, polarization measurements showed that AME acted as a mixed type inhibitor against corrosion. The formulation of 100 ppm AME with 50 ppm polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400) as an intensifier showed inhibition efficiency of 97.51% for MS in 0.5 M HCl. The protection of MS in (AME + PEG) formulation was also assessed through the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Flory–Huggins adsorption isotherm model. The surface studies of the MS were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) that indicated a smoothened surface of the metal in the presence of the studied compounds. XPS study was executed to analyze the interaction of the inhibitor with the metal surface. In addition, computational quantum study provides the molecular structural relationship with corrosion inhibitive competence of the extract.