Argan hulls extract: green inhibitor of mild steel corrosion in 1 M HCl solution

Argan hulls extract (AHE) was tested as corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in 1 M HCl. Weight loss measurements, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that inhibiting action increased with increasing concentration of the inhibitor. The highest efficiency 97.3% was obtained at 5 g/L AHE. There was good agreement between gravimetric and electrochemical methods (potentiodynamic polarization and EIS). Results obtained from EIS measurements were analyzed to model the corrosion-inhibition process by use of the appropriate equivalent circuit model; a constant phase element was used. Polarization measurements show also that AHE acts as good mixed inhibitor. AHE is adsorbed on the steel surface in accordance with a Langmuir isotherm adsorption model.