Phytochemicals as eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in sulfuric acid solutions: a review

Plant extracts represent abundant sources of biomolecules distributed throughout various plant parts. These biomolecules are extracted using diverse solvents and methods. Within these plant extracts lie bioactive compounds, known for their antioxidant properties and anticorrosive capabilities. Detecting and isolating these active biomolecules from plant extracts necessitates analytical techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The active biomolecules within plant extracts contain heteroatoms within their structures, facilitating their adsorption on steel surfaces and conferring corrosion inhibition properties. The advantages of plant extracts as green corrosion inhibitors include ready availability, ease of application, eco-friendly characteristics, and cost-effectiveness. These extracts adhere to steel surfaces, blocking their active sites and effectively reducing the corrosion rate. This review consolidates the findings on the corrosion inhibition potential of plant extracts from various plant parts, elucidating their performance in different concentrations of sulfuric acid.