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Ficus platyphylla gum exudates (FP gum) have been analyzed for their physicochemical parameters and found to be ionic, mildly acidic, odourless, and yellowish brown in colour. e gum is soluble in water, sparingly soluble in ethanol, and insoluble in acetone and chloroform. e nitrogen (0.39%) and protein (2.44%) contents of the gum are relatively low. e concentrations of the cations were found to increase according to the following trend, Mn>Fe>Zn>Pb>Cu>Mg>Cd>Ca. Analysis of the FTIR spectrum of the gum revealed vibrations similar to those found in polysaccharides while the scanning electron micrograph indicated that the gum has irregular molecular shapes, arranged randomly. e intrinsic viscosity of FP gum estimated by extrapolating to zero concentrations in Huggins, Kraemer, Schulz-Blaschke, and Martin plots has an average value of 7 dL/g. From the plots of viscosity versus shear rate/speed of rotation and also that of shear stress versus shear rate, FP gum can be classi�ed as a non-Newtonian gum with characteristics-plastic properties. Development of the Master_s curve for FP gum also indicated that the gum prefers to remain in a dilute domain (C < C *), such that sp C 1.2. e apparent activation energy of �ow for FP gum (calculated from Arrhenius-Frenkel-Eyring plot) was relatively low and indicated the presence of fewer inter-and intramolecular interactions.

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Gas chromatography mass spectrophotometer (GCMS) analysis of Ficus tricopoda gum indicated the presence of 4.75, 56.15, 32.10 and 7.00 % of camphene, sucrose, 2methylene cholestan-3-ol and 7-hexadecenal, respectively. Several stretching and bending vibrations were observed in the Fourier transformed infra-red (FTIR) spectrum of the gum. Physicochemical examinations of the gum revealed that it is pale yellow in colour, mildly acidic, ionic and display characteristics of sour taste. The solubility of the gum in water was found to increase with increase in temperature. Knowledge of the chemical constitution of the gum (hence chemical structures of its constituents) was useful in predicting the corrosion inhibition potential of Ficus tricopoda (FT) gum. Consequently, the gum was found to be a good adsorption inhibitor for the corrosion of aluminum in solution of H 2 SO 4. The adsorption of the gum (which, followed first order kinetic) was found to be endothermic at FT gum critical concentration of 0.3 g/L and exothermic at concentrations above the critical limit. The short coming of the Langmuir adsorption model in describing the existent of interaction between the molecules of the gum was complimented by the Frumkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption models. Calculated values of activation and free energies of activation indicated that the adsorption of Ficus tricopoda gum on Al surface exhibited both physical and chemical adsorption mechanism.

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