Dispersive interactions in the adsorption and corrosion inhibition effects of Alstonia boonei on mild steel in acidic environments

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the adsorption properties of a proven traditional medicine of West Africa origin, Alstonia boonei with an attempt to evaluate its application in the corrosion protection of mild steel in 5 M H2SO4 and 5 M HCl. Design/methodology/approach Phytochemical screening and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis were used to characterize the methanolic extract of the plant. Gravimetry, gasometry and electrochemical techniques were used in the corrosion inhibition studies of the extract and computational studies were used to describe the electronic and adsorption properties of eugenol, the most abundant phytochemical in Alstonia boonei. Findings The extract acted as a mixed-type inhibitor in both acidic solutions, with improved inhibition efficiency achieved with increasing concentration. While the efficiency increased with temperature for the HCl system, it decreased for the H2SO4 system. The mechanism of adsorption proposed for Alstonia boonei was chemisorption in the HCl system and physisorption in the H2SO4 system, and the adsorptions obeyed Langmuir isotherm at low temperatures. Computational parameters showed that eugenol, being a representative of Alstonia boonei, possesses excellent adsorption properties and has the potential to compete with other established plant-based corrosion inhibitors. Research limitations/implications As opposed to pure compounds with distinctive corrosion effects, plant extracts are generally composed of a myriad of phytoconstituents that competitively promote or inhibit the corrosion process and their net effect is evident as inhibition efficiencies. This is, therefore, the main research limitation associated with the corrosion inhibition study of Alstonia boonei. Originality/value Being very rich in antioxidant properties by its proven curative and preventive effects for diseases, the interest was stimulated towards the attractive results that abound from its corrosion protection of metals via its anti-oxidation route.