ISSN 2384-5058
Abstract: The use of inhibitors is one of the most practical methods for protecting metal against corrosion, especially in acidic media. Corrosion inhibitors are common for protecting steel structures and their alloys in industry. Chemicals used as corrosion inhibitors are very toxic even in small concentrations, leading to environmental agencies requesting prohibition. Thus, there is a growing demand for environmentally appropriate inhibitors such as vegetal inhibitors. In this present work, the investigation of the inhibition properties of plantain peduncle on the corrosion rate of mild carbon steel was carried out. A mild carbon steel of 0.12 weight percentage of carbon was used for this research work. The mild carbon steel was obtained from a local market in Nigeria. The samples were machined using lathe machine into cylindrical pieces of diameter of 20 mm and length of 60 mm for samples of; sample A: 3.0 v/v concentration (5 pieces), sample B: 2.0 v/v concentration (5 pieces), sample C: 1.0 v/v concentration (5 pieces), and ample D: No Inhibitor (Control) (5 pieces). The prepared mild carbon steel samples and the inhibitors from plantain peduncles were used for the experiment to determine the weight loss and corrosion rate of the mild carbon steel. The results obtained shown that low weight loss and corrosion rate were recorded for all inhibited samples with the 3.0 v/v concentration showing the best inhibition property and this was followed by 2.0 v/v concentration. Unlike the inhibited samples, the control sample showed high tendency of corrosion rate and weight loss. Thus, plantain peduncle can be used as an inhibitor.
Keywords: Corrosion, Inhibitor, Plantain Peduncle, Weight Loss, Corrosion Rate