Chitosan, its derivatives and composites with superior potentials for the corrosion protection of steel alloys: A comprehensive review

The extension of the working life of industrial metallic surfaces is possible through the use of efficient inhibitors. Chitosan is a component with high potentials for the active protection of metals in various corrosive media. Chitosan gives the possibility of vast functionalization and composite formation to improve its inhibition performance. Based on the applicability of this polymer for corrosion elimination, a large number of papers has been published on the use of chitosan and relative components for protection purposes. This work attempts to provide a comprehensive review of the chitosan-based inhibiting systems used for steel alloys. The reviewed articles are classified into three groups as pure chitosan, chitosan functionalized derivatives, and chitosan composites. The main results of each article obtained from electrochemical and weight loss measurements, as well as a brief description of the experimental conditions, are reported.