Computational and Experimental Study of the Inhibition Effects of Purple Sweet Potato Leaves Extract on Mild Steel Corrosion in 1M H2SO4

Udowo VM, Uwah IE, Daniel F

Abstract

The alkaloid and non-alkaloid fractions of purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) written as AEIB and NEIB respectively were used as inhibitors in the corrosion reaction of mild steel in 1.0 M H2SO4 solutions. The corrosion rate decreased with increase in the concentration of the AEIB and NEIB as evidenced in the experimental results obtained from the gravimetric and gasometric techniques. This proved that the AEIB and NEIB are effective inhibitors of mild steel corrosion. Also, the experimentally obtained data fitted well into the Temkin isotherm while the computed thermodynamic parameter values showed that the inhibitors effectively reduced the rate of metal dissolution by becoming physically adsorbed on the mild steel surface.