A Review of Natural Polysaccharides as Corrosion Inhibitors: Recent Progress and Future Opportunities

Abstract

Preventing and mitigating corrosion problems can be very challenging due to technical considerations and prohibitive economic implications. It is thus imperative to arrest the escalating corrosion rates and impede the deterioration effects of corrosion with versatile remedies. In this review, previous research efforts on the application of plant-derived polysaccharides as potential inhibitors of metal corrosion in various aggressive media are studied. The deployment of corrosion inhibitors has proven to be an outstanding solution to prolonging the lifespan of metals. However, the most applied inhibitors such as the inorganic and some organic compounds are prohibitively expensive, hazardous, and toxic. These limiting factors have stimulated interest in more research into greener and less toxic natural alternatives. Considering the success of synthetic polymers for corrosion inhibition, a wide range of plants with high natural polysaccharide content have been evaluated to determine their effectiveness as biodegradable, renewable, and more economical corrosion inhibitors. Studies generally show that natural polysaccharides exhibit over 90% efficiency for corrosion inhibition with appreciable adsorption on the metal surface. Modification and grafting of the plant polysaccharides to enhance their inhibition efficiencies and to make them more desirable are currently being investigated. Such bio-inspired polymeric molecules thus have invaluable significance as potential alternatives for the problematic corrosion inhibitors.

Principles and theories of green chemistry for corrosion science and engineering: design and application

“…270 Similarly, polysaccharides extracted from plant sources have exhibited corrosion inhibition on several metallic surfaces. 271 The type of metal substrate, the surrounding environment, and the particular biopolymer utilized all have an impact on how well biopolymers work. To achieve the best corrosion protection, biopolymer formulations must be specifically matched to the characteristics of the metal substrate and the corrosive environment.…”

Enhancing corrosion resistance of mild steel in hydrochloric acid with Chiquita banana sap extract

“…Besides, tannins present in banana sap cause the sap to darken when exposed to air, demonstrating appearance of carbohydrate and suggesting its potential for long-term rust prevention with environmentally sustainable properties. 31,32 The main objective of this investigation is to study the electrochemical response of natural plant waste to mitigate the corrosive effects of hydrochloric acid on mild steel. To achieve this, we used a banana sap-water extract (BSWE) to limit the deterioration of mild steel, which is known to be prone to corrosion in acidic environments.…”

“…Besides, tannins present in banana sap cause the sap to darken when exposed to air, demonstrating appearance of carbohydrate and suggesting its potential for long-term rust prevention with environmentally sustainable properties. 31,32…”