Date palm leaves extract as a green and sustainable corrosion inhibitor for low carbon steel in 15 wt.% HCl solution: the role of extraction solvent on inhibition effect

Date palm leaves (DPL) was extracted using acetone (ACE), ethanol (ETH), aqueous (AE), butanol (BUT), methanol (METH), isopropanol (ISO), and ethyl acetate (EHY ACT). The extracts were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The various solvent DPL extracts were screened for anticorrosion property against low carbon steel in 15 wt.% HCl solution at 25 °C. ACE, AE, and ETH DPL extracts are found to promote the corrosion of the low carbon steel while BUT, ISO, METH, and EHY ACT DPL extracts exhibit anticorrosion property. However, BUT DPL extract shows the best anticorrosion property with 400 ppm protecting the low carbon steel by 82%. Based on the results from the screening experiments, BUT extract was selected for a comprehensive corrosion inhibition study. Inhibition effectiveness of BUT DPL extract is found to increase with increasing concentration with 1000 ppm affording 97% protection at 25 °C. The inhibition performance increases up to 40 °C but slightly decreases as the temperature was raised to 50 °C and 60 °C. However, BUT DPL extract could afford 86% protection at 60 °C. Scanning electron microscope and atomic force spectroscopy results confirm that BUT DPL extract is indeed an effective inhibitor for X60 carbon steel in 15 wt.% HCl solution.