Corrosion Inhibition of Steel in Acidic Medium Using Artemisia Plant Extract: A Natural and Eco-Friendly Method

Corrosion in acidic environments represents a major challenge in many industrial sectors, particularly in pipelines, chemical processing units, and metallic equipment exposed to aggressive conditions. Metal degradation caused by corrosion results in economic losses, safety concerns, and reduced service life of industrial components. Therefore, environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitors are increasingly required. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Artemisia plant extract as a natural corrosion inhibitor for metals in a 1 M hydrochloric acid solution.

The Artemisia extract was prepared using water as a solvent and applied to metal samples immersed in the acidic medium. Gravimetric weight loss measurements were used to investigate the effects of inhibitor concentration, immersion time, and temperature on corrosion rate and inhibition efficiency. The results show that increasing inhibitor concentration significantly reduces corrosion rate while improving inhibition efficiency, indicating effective adsorption of extract components onto the metal surface.

Conversely, increasing temperature and acid molarity decreases inhibition efficiency and increases corrosion rate due to reduced stability of the protective film. Electrochemical techniques including Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and Potentiodynamic Polarization will be employed to validate the gravimetric results. The inhibition mechanism is attributed to the formation of an adsorbed protective layer on the metal surface. These findings highlight the potential of plant-based inhibitors for sustainable corrosion protection in acidic industrial environments.