ESG green corrosion inhibition of mild steel in 0.1 M HCl, NaOH and H2O using aloe vera gel

Abstract

Mild steel returns back to iron oxide (rust) in the presence of water, oxygen, and ions leading to loss of desired structural properties and functional integrity which poses expensive problems for industry, including unsafe structural damage. This study investigated the impact of aloe vera gel inhibitors on the corrosion behavior of mild steel in 0.1 M HCl, NaOH, and water. Mild steel coupons in the media using the inhibitor (aloe vera gel) were studied in duplicates over a period of 10 days during which average weight loss measurements were taken to obtain the inhibition efficiencies. The electrochemical behavior of the mild steel in the inhibited and uninhibited solution was investigated by recording cathodic and anodic potentiodynamic polarization readings, and the morphology of the mild steel coupon surface was recorded using the scanning electron microscope machine. From the gravimetric experiment, the corrosion parameters showed a relatively substantial inhibition efficiency in water. The potentiodynamic polarization results indicated a high potential of the aloe vera gel as a corrosion inhibitor in the 0.1 M NaOH solution and water with efficiency of 33.71% and 57.62%, respectively. A negative efficiency of 7.82% was obtained for the inhibition in 0.1 M HCl.