Corrosion Inhibition of Aluminum Alloy by Eco-Friendly Composition Based on Gum Arabic and Zinc Acetate

The inhibitory properties of an eco-friendly composition based on polysaccharide (gum arabic) and acetic acid salt (zinc acetate) to increase the corrosion resistance of D16T aluminium alloy in a neutral environment were investigated by electrochemical and gravimetric methods. It was established that the inhibitory efficiency of the composition increased with increasing concentration, and was maximally effective at 2 g/L of each component. The protective effect of the composition can be associated with the adsorption capacity of zinc acetate and gum arabic, due to the presence of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups in them, as well as the ability of Zn²⁺ cations to interact with OH^– anions, with the subsequent formation of zinc hydroxides, thus promoting blocking the cathode areas and slowing down the corrosion processes. It was shown that the degree of protection of the D16T aluminium alloy after 168 h of exposure to a 0.1% NaCl solution was 86 to 89%, which indicates the effective protective effect of the selected inhibitory composition.