Evaluation of the Corrosion Inhibition Performance of Orange Leaf Extract on Aluminum in Basic Media

Abstract

The research used gravimetric and electrochemical methods to study the effect of orange leaf extract (OLE) on aluminum corrosion in alkaline conditions. Characterization involved Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for material analysis, and Electron Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology examination. Results show that OLE effectively inhibits aluminum corrosion under basic conditions, with up to 90% inhibition efficiency at 303 K and 84.85% at 313 K. The inhibition efficiency decreases with higher temperatures and longer immersion times, but increases with higher extract concentrations. OLE is identified as a potential corrosion inhibitor for aluminum in alkaline environments, attributed to the adherence of inhibitor molecules to the aluminum surface, primarily through O-H and N-H functional groups. Additionally, the extract acts as a mixed-type inhibitor, creating a protective coating on the metal surface and showing the hydrophobic nature of aluminum in the presence of the inhibitor. This study highlights the effectiveness of orange leaf extract as a corrosion inhibitor for aluminum in basic media.