Corrosion Inhibition Mechanism of Mild Steel by Amylose-Acetate/Carboxymethyl Chitosan Composites in Acidic Media

This article details an investigation on the mechanism of corrosion inhibition of mild steel using amylose-acetate-blended carboxymethyl chitosan (AA-CMCh) in acidic media in the context of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. The surface of mild steel was exposed to test solutions and evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The activation energy (E-a), free energy of adsorption (G), enthalpy of activation (H-ads), and entropy of activation (S-ads) were determined in order to elucidate the mechanism of corrosion inhibition. The results confirmed that AA could be improved using CMCh as a corrosion inhibitor. The corrosion rate decreased from 1109.00 to 229.70mdd (79.29%), while corrosion inhibition increased from 35.13 to 89.72%. Sulfate acid (H2SO4) of 0.25M also helped in decreasing the corrosion rate from 2664.4 to 1041.67mdd (60.9%) while also in increasing corrosion inhibition from 56.94 to 68.31%. The calculated values for G, H-ads, and S-ads were -33.22kJ mol( -1), -48.56kJ mol( -1), and 0.0495kJ mol( -1) K -1, respectively. The mechanism of corrosion inhibition of mild steel in the acidic condition is dominated and precipitated by the formation of the Fe-chelate compound, which was confirmed by the SEM/EDS spectrum. The reactions were spontaneous, exothermic, and irregular and takes place on the surface of mild steel.