Effect of Cardamom Extract on leaching of Aluminum Cookware

To estimate the contribution of cardamom extract (CE) on Aluminum (Al) leaching, Al release from cookware was investigated using two Aluminum alloys (Indian and Egyptian). This study was done in aqueous solutions in presence and absence of 1% NaCl using weight loss at 90 degrees C to imitate cooking conditions. Moreover surface study and electrochemical methods: Open Circuit Potential (OPC) and Tafel plot were applied. For the electrochemical methods pure Aluminum (Al) was used for comparison in addition to the two Aluminum alloys. The corrosion resistance of pure Al was less than that of the Indian alloy due to alloying elements. The increasing concentrations of CE and temperature gave rise to increasing corrosion rate (CR). The addition of 1% NaCl to CE solutions increased the corrosion rates for weight loss and electrochemical method. The apparent activation energy values, Ea for CE was more than that for CE+NaCl which is in agreement with weight loss results and Tafel plots. The effect of cardamom extract on Al leaching was significant even at low concentrations (less than 5%) where it caused pits and blisters as shown from the surface study.