Acid-acid function of Eichhornia crassipes roots as inhibitor for mild steel in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution

Abstract

The inhibitory potential of an acid extract of Eichhornia crassipes constituents on corrosion of mild steel in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution was the basis of this study. Acid extract of the root was employed to create the same type of environment for acidic cleaning and pickling. The roots of Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) were sun-dried and pulverized into powdered form. Acid extraction was carried out by weighing 10 g of the pulverized roots into a beaker containing 1000 mL of 0.5 M H₂SO₄, placed in water bath at 90°C for 6 h and filtered the second day. The mild steel with a known weight was immersed inside the respective concentration of the blank and inhibitors (2–10% vol/vol) solutions at room temperature, after which it was retrieved and weighed at 1-day interval progressively for 12 days. A collection of compositional data was from AAS, FTIR. Polarization resistant, current density (I _corr), and corrosion potentials (E _corr) obtained from Methro Ohms Potentiostat. Phytochemical screening of the corrosion product was carried out using Spectrophotometer. Polarization calculation shows that the root acid extracts on mild steel have corrosion resistance potentials even after preserving it for 60 days.