Pomegranate Peel Plant Extract as Potential Corrosion Inhibitor for Mild Carbon Steel in a 1 M HCl Solution

Abstract

Herein, Pomegranate Peel plant extract was assessed as a low-cost, green and efficient corrosion inhibitor for mild carbon steel in 1 M hydrochloric acid solution using weight loss, potentiodynamic polarisation, an atomic absorption Spectroscopy test, surface roughness test and surface studies by optical microscopy (LOM). Increasing Pomegranate Peel extract concentration increases the charge transfer resistance as a result of the adsorption of Pomegranate Peel extract on the mild carbon steel surface. The polarisation results showed the mixed-type inhibition behaviour of the studied extract with an inhibition efficiency (%IE) of 90.193% achieved with the addition of 4% vol. of Pomegranate Peel plant extract. The adsorption isotherm model of Pomegranate Peel plant extract on a mild carbon steel surface followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm in a HCl solution. The inhibition mechanism of Pomegranate Peel plant extract was explained according to the increase in the IE% with concentration and the activation parameters which suggested significant chemisorption of the Pomegranate Peel plant extract on the mild carbon steel surface. LOM studies confirmed the formation of a protective layer of Pomegranate Peel plant extract on a mild carbon steel surface. Results obtained by different techniques showed good agreement that confirm the potential use of Pomegranate Peel plant extract as a corrosion inhibitor for mild carbon steel in an acidic media.