Corrosion Inhibition: Investigation of Lanolin Coating on the Corrosion Characteristics of Low Carbon Steel in Simulated Sea Water

There is a high demand for an environmentally friendly and cost-effective corrosion inhibitor. Commercially available lanolin has been used as a biodegradable corrosion inhibitor in addition to being a natural lubricant as a results of its relatively low viscosity. This is very useful particularly for marine steel structural applications. In this investigation, corrosion of lanolin-coated 1018 steel was examined after submerging in a stagnant simulated marine environment. Investigation of microstructure for surface corrosion variation including corrosion rate was carried out on both standard and lanolin-coated 1018 steel specimens. Based on the results obtained in this study, it was concluded that lanolin-treated 1018 steel samples retained lanolin coat during long-term submersion. This is attributed to the preferential lanolin amalgamation that occurred over time. The application of protective coat played an important role in corrosion protection/prevention. Pitting corrosion was dominant in uncoated samples, as expected. SEM-based analysis has demonstrated substantial corrosion attack occurring at the periphery of the standard sample compared to lanolin-coated samples.