An experimental study on the use of banana peel extract (Musa Acuminata Colla) as corrosion inhibitor for low-carbon steel

Abstract

A class of steel alloys known as low-carbon steel is distinguished by having a low carbon percentage. It is renowned for its excellent ductility and malleability, making shaping, forming, and welding simple. Because of these characteristics, low-carbon steels are perfect for applications like construction materials and industries where a lot of shape or deformation is needed. Despite being well known for these qualities, low-carbon steel is prone to corrosion, which may impair its integrity over time. Various corrosion protection methods are employed in the construction industry to address this issue. However, commercially made protective coatings pose a danger and harm to the environment. This study aims to create a green corrosion inhibitor from the extracts of banana peels to be used for low-carbon steel coating as well as to assess its optimum inhibition efficiency using various inhibitor concentrations (0.2 g/mL, 0.4g/mL, 0.6 g/mL), and effects on the steel surface after undergoing immersion in 0.1 M HCl and 0.1 M H2SO4. The experimental results obtained from this study showed that 0.6 g/mL had the highest inhibition efficiency (IE) among all concentrations, peaking at 45.89% and 61.80%, respectively. The corrosion rate demonstrated that the highest inhibitor concentration also produced the lowest corrosion rate of steel plates, with SEM analysis providing additional verification of the external surface of the corroded specimen. FTIR analysis was also conducted to determine the functional groups in the banana peels responsible for their corrosion inhibition properties. Banana peel extract was proven to be an effective corrosion inhibitor for low- carbon steel, which also established a step towards sustainable development.