Electrochemical Studies of Hybrid Botanical Extracts on Mild Steel Corrosion in Hydrochloric Acid Medium

Abstract

Corrosion's detrimental effects on materials and structures compromise their functionality, leading to economic burdens through replacement, maintenance, and environmental degradation, thereby sparking interest in eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors. Although plants deemed weeds exhibit limited corrosion inhibition, hybridizing them with potent extracts enhances their efficacy. This study investigated hybrid extracts from water hyacinth, bitter leaf, and Moringa oleifera for controlling mild steel corrosion in 2M HCl solution, utilizing gravimetric and electrochemical techniques at 25°C ± 2°C. A 70:30 Eichhornia crassipes-Moringa oleifera hybrid extract demonstrated exceptional corrosion inhibition, achieving 65% gravimetric efficiency, 92.5% linear polarization resistance, and 94.7% potentiodynamic polarization efficiency. Surface-active components strengthened the protective metal coating, aligning with the study's primary goal and revealing a synergistic interaction between hybrid and individual inhibitors.