Experimental Study on Adsorption and Corrosion Inhibition Properties of <i>Urena lobata</i> Leaves Extract on Mild Steel in Acidic Medium

Abstract

The corrosion inhibitive effect of <i>Urena lobata</i> leaves extract on mild steel in 1M HCl solution was investigated via gravimetric, Electrochemical and Surface analyses. Adsorption isotherms were investigated using the Langmuir and Freundlich plots. Phytochemicals of the extract were investigated using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometric (GC-MS) technique. The effect of the leaves extract through immersion time, temperature and concentration on the corrosion inhibition were obtained. The results obtained showed that the increase in extract’s concentration increased the inhibition efficiency and the protection was more on the surface of the metal at lower temperature. Maximum inhibition efficiency of 95.8% was obtained at 2.5g/L extract concentration. Corrosion rate of mild steel increased with temperature increase in the acidic solution. The adsorption process reduced as temperature increased thereby indicating physisorption. The Langmuir isotherms gave the best fit indicating chemisorption. Physical adsorption was confirmed for the leaves extract from observations of inhibition efficiency with temperature, activation energy and enthalpy of adsorption values. Hence indicating that the plant extract has mixed properties. The electrochemical results confirmed the inhibitory ability of the plant extract. The inhibition efficiencies (% IE) were attributed to the phytochemical components (alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, cynagenic glycosides) present in the extract. The extracts of <i>Urena lobata</i> are effective corrosion inhibitors of mild steel.