An investigation of carbon steel corrosion inhibition in hydrochloric acid medium by an environmentally friendly green inhibitor

The inhibition effect of polyphenols extracted from olive mill wastewater (PP) on carbon steel in 1.0 M HCl solution was studied. Inhibition efficiency of PP was carried out by using chemical (weight loss method) and electrochemical techniques [potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)]. The effect of temperature and immersion time on the corrosion behavior of carbon steel in 1.0 M HCl with addition of an extract was also studied. The results show that PP acts as a very good inhibitor, and the inhibition efficiency increases with the concentration of PP and decreases with rising temperature. Polarization curves show that PP behaves as a mixed-type inhibitor in hydrochloric acid. Data, obtained from EIS measurements, were analyzed to model the corrosion inhibition process through an appropriate equivalent circuit model; a constant phase element has been used. EIS shows that charge-transfer resistance increases and the capacitance of double layer decreases with the inhibitor concentration, confirming the adsorption process mechanism. The activation energy as well as other thermodynamic parameters for the inhibition process were calculated. The adsorption of PP obeys the Langmuir adsorption isotherm.