Towards improving the corrosion resistance using a novel eco-friendly bioflocculant polymer produced from Bacillus sp.

Abstract

This research study reveals the anti-corrosive efficiency of a bacterial polymer derived from Bacillus sp.isolated from a probiotic source. The optimum growth of Bacillus sp.was noted at 48 h, and the bioflocculant was produced at a maximum level of 0.9 g/L. The biomass produced from the fermentation broth was 4.4 g/L. The purified bioflocculant polymer was identified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The presence of amino and carboxyl groups in the molecule was confirmed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The corrosion inhibition efficiency of bioflocculant polymer was analyzed by electrochemical techniques, including open circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) studies. The corrosion protection efficiency of bioflocculant polymer was found to be 79.3% after a period of 21 days. The corrosion inhibition efficiency was calculated based on polarization resistance (Rp) and was estimated as 93.69%. The morphology of SS304 exposed to corrosive environment was visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). This study's scientific results proved the bioflocculant polymer's success as an efficient and effective green corrosion inhibitor that leads to reduced environmental toxic effects, highly biodegradable abilities and can be used as a viable substitute for synthetic polymers.