The Role of Natural Honey as a Corrosion Inhibitor for Mild Steel in Hydrochloric Acid

This research investigates the role of natural honey (NH) as a corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in hydrochloric acid. The materials used include mild steel, hydrochloric acid, a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, and a scanning electron microscope. Experimental treatments were performed using gravimetric, polarization, and impedance methods. FTIR analysis revealed the functional groups present in the honey, and the polarization measurement reached a steady state at a potential range of approximately 250 mV after 30 minutes of immersion at a scan rate of 0.33 mV/s. The results also show that NH inhibited cathodic and anodic reaction processes when the displacement was greater than 85 mV and a mixed-type inhibitor when the displacement was less than 85 mV. The weight losses were recorded as the average value of the difference between the initial and final weights of the three determinant coupons at a given time. The efficiency was validated, and the 99.52% obtained was close to the predicted value of 99.13%. The negative value of binding energy implied an exothermic reaction. The molecular dynamic simulation with a high energy gap indicates that NH had a high reactivity of adsorption and could be a mixed-type inhibitor. For these reasons, NH was adjudged a mixed-type inhibitor and a good quality corrosion controller of metal surfaces.