Preparation of control solution
Sodium chloride Merck M 0.5 was used to make a control solution. This solution was poured into a special container at volume of 100 ml. After calibrating, the device begins to plot polarization curve. An important point in the curves plotted by this device is that device records one Ecorr at each time. These operations needed to be repeated for several tomes to be able to record the relatively fixed corrosion potential. In the polarization curve (Fig. 2), the corrosion potential of the control solution (Sodium chloride M 0.5) was recorded -243 mV
Fig. 2 Tafel polarization curve of sodium chloride solution 0.5 M
Preparation of the initial solution of Robinia pseudoacania L fruit
The considered Robinia pseudoacania L fruit was prepared from Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center. To prepare the mother solution, the sample was powdered in the oven. The powder was weighed to the desired size by means of a digital scale and the weighted samples were reached to the volume by distilled water. Robinia pseudoacania L solutions were prepared from 200 ppm to 2000 ppm for this test. Then, each ppm was separately mixed and treated with a corrosive solution of sodium chloride 0.5 M with pH=5.5, so that its corrosion power to be examined by potentiostat device [22]. To examine and test the exact corrosion rate, corrosion potential and inhibitory power of the considered solution at each specific ppm, it is necessary to repeat the experiment for several times (Table 1). To analyze some of them, charts with 1000 ppm to 1800 ppm compared to control solution are presented below. The corrosion potential of the control solution is -243 mV. Given the corrosion potential of the sample at the presence of the inhibitor solution to the positive values, -222 mV indicates a shift in the direction of 21 mV to positive values, suggesting the complexity of the inhibitory type (Fig. 3). In addition to change in potential of corrosion, a slight flow is seen in the anodic branch.
Fig. 3 Tafel polarization curve of Robinia pseudoacania L solution at 1000 ppm in the presence of a corrosive solution of sodium chloride 0.5 Mm
The Tafel polarization is seen at 1200 ppm1of Robinia pseudoacania L solution at the presence of a sodium chloride 0.5 M, which has an inhibitory corrosion potential of -216 mV. Based on the control solution, inhibitor chart has a shift of direction to positive values (Fig. 4). In addition to change in the corrosion potential, the flow drop in both the anodic and cathodic branches is significant.
Fig. 4 Tafel polarization curve of Robinia pseudoacania L solution at 1200 ppm in the presence of a corrosive solution of sodium chloride 0.5 Mm
The Tafel polarization is at 1400 ppm and the inhibitory solution corrosion potential is -216 mV, which compared to control solution, it has a shift of direction to positive values (Fig. 5). The corrosion has also has had slight drop in the anodic and cathodic branches.
Fig. 5 Tafel polarization curve of Robinia pseudoacania L solution at 1400 ppm in the presence of a corrosive solution of sodium chloride 0.5 Mm
The Robinia pseudoacania L solution corrosion potential is -213 mV at 1600 ppm, which compared to corrosion solution, it show displacement of 30 MV (Fig. 6). A slight drop is also seen in the anodic branch.
Fig. 6 Tafel polarization curve of Robinia pseudoacania L solution at 1600 ppm in the presence of a corrosive solution of sodium chloride 0.5 Mm
T
The Robinia pseudoacania L solution corrosion potential is -213 mV at 1600 ppm, which compared to corrosion solution, it show displacement of 30 MV (Fig. 7). A slight drop is also seen in the anodic branch.
Fig. 7 Tafel polarization curve of Robinia pseudoacania L solution at 1800 ppm in the presence of a corrosive solution of sodium chloride 0.5 M
Calculating the corrosion efficiency using potentiostat device calculations
To obtain the inhibitory efficiency percentage, IE% is calculated based on equation (1), in which Icorr is density of the corrosion flow with inhibitory and I0 is corrosion flow without inhibitory.
Another method to calculate the IE% is using the equation 2, in which Rp is the resistance of polarization, calculated by using the following equation
In these experiments, corrosion flow density, corrosion rate, and equivalent weight at the presence and absence of inhibitor were calculated by standard (ASTM, G 102-98) [23, 24].
To calculate the density of flow based on the following equation
Corrosion rate is calculated based on the following equation
Potentiostat device data are calculated using the above equations and are presented in Table (1).
Table 1 Calculation of corrosion flow, corrosion potential, electrolyte resistance, flow density, cathodic and anodic slope coefficients, and corrosion rate of Robinia pseudoacania L fruit with a Potentiostat device
Concentration Robinia pseudoacania L (W/V)
|
-E corr (mv)
|
RP (ohm)
|
Ba (v/dec)
|
Bc (v/dec)
|
I corrosion (A)
|
i corrosion (A/cm2)
|
Corrosion rate (mpy)
|
blank
|
243
|
800.5
|
0.0607
|
0.0668
|
2.716*10-5
|
6.497*10-5
|
28.381
|
200 ppm
|
211
|
1244
|
0.0612
|
0.0843
|
1.748*10-5
|
4.181*10-5
|
18.264
|
400 ppm
|
228
|
1315
|
0.0720
|
0.0791
|
1.653*10-5
|
3.955*10-5
|
17.276
|
600 ppm
|
214
|
1268
|
0.0618
|
0.0687
|
1.714*10-5
|
4.102*10-5
|
17.091
|
800 ppm
|
219
|
1508
|
0.0829
|
0.09
|
1.442*10-5
|
30449*10-5
|
15.066
|
1000 ppm
|
222
|
1765
|
0.0592
|
0.0720
|
1.232*10-5
|
2.947*10-5
|
12.873
|
1200 ppm
|
216
|
1573
|
0.0672
|
0.0959
|
1.382*10-5
|
3.306*10-5
|
14.441
|
1400 ppm
|
214
|
1734
|
0.0773
|
0.1087
|
1.254*10-5
|
2.99*10-5
|
13.1
|
1600 ppm
|
219
|
1218
|
0.0763
|
0.1044
|
1.785*10-5
|
4.27*10-5
|
18.652
|
1800 ppm
|
213
|
1029
|
0.1218
|
0.1171
|
2.113*10-5
|
5.054*10-5
|
22.077
|
Using the data derived from Potentiostat device, the inhibitory power of Robinia pseudoacania L solution was calculated in Table 2.
Table 2 Robinia pseudoacania L inhibitory percentage with different concentrations using Potentiostat device
Concentration Robinia pseudoacania L (W/V)
|
i corrosion (A/cm2)
|
IE %
|
Blank
|
6.497*10-5
|
-
|
200 ppm
|
4.181*10-5
|
36
|
400 ppm
|
3.955*10-5
|
41
|
600 ppm
|
4.102*10-5
|
36.9
|
800 ppm
|
3.449*10-5
|
47
|
1000 ppm
|
2.947*10-5
|
55
|
1200 ppm
|
3.306*10-5
|
50
|
1400 ppm
|
2.99*10-5
|
54
|
1600 ppm
|
4.24*10-5
|
35
|
1800 ppm
|
5.054*10-5
|
23
|
The classic weight loss method
Weight loss method is the simplest method for studying corrosion inhibitors due to the lack of need for device (except for using the digital scale). In this method, the weight variations of the metal sample are calculated before and after exposure to the corrosive medium (in the absence and presence of inhibitor). The time for this experiment is long, but as results of this method are more real than those of the electrochemical method, it is still used [25, 26], which Wcorr is the weight loss of the sample in the presence of the inhibitor and W0 is the weight loss of the sample in the absence of the inhibitor, obtained by using equation (5).
In order to perform the experiment using the classic method, the prepared electrodes were cut (Fig. 8A) with a percentage of (Cu-10Sn) as round coupons with a diameter of 0.73 cm and a thickness of 2 mm.
The coupons were polished using sandpaper with grades of 400, 800, and 2200. The coupons were then degreased in alcohol and rinsed in distilled water. The rinsed samples were heated at 80 ° C for one hour in an oven. Then, coupons were placed in a desiccator for one hour and finally the coupons were weighed to be immersed in Robinia pseudoacania L solution (Fig. 8B).
Fig. 8 prepared electrodes for cutting of coupons (A); Prepared coupons for immersion (B)
After one month of immersion in an inhibitory solution in the presence of a sodium-chloride 0.5 M corrosive medium, one of the coupons was removed from the control solution and Robinia pseudoacania L solution each week and the inhibitory power was calculated each week using equation 5. This action lasted 4 weeks on coupons. The results of the inhibitory power of the sample are presented in the tables 3 to 6 and fig. 9 to18.
Table 3Inhibitory percentage of Robinia pseudoacania L with different volumes in corrosive medium of Sodium chloride 0.5 M one week after immersion
Concentration Robinia pseudoacania L and 0.5 M NaCl (W/V)
|
W0
|
Wcorr
|
IE %
|
Blank
|
2.0173
|
2.0163
|
-
|
200 ppm
|
2.3110
|
2.3108
|
80
|
400 ppm
|
2.4968
|
2.4965
|
70
|
600 ppm
|
2.5848
|
2.5845
|
70
|
800 ppm
|
2.6743
|
2.6740
|
70
|
1000 ppm
|
2.2343
|
2.2349
|
90
|
1200 ppm
|
2.0018
|
2.0015
|
70
|
1400 ppm
|
2.6505
|
2.6500
|
50
|
1600 ppm
|
2.5841
|
2.5839
|
80
|
1800 ppm
|
2.0608
|
2.0607
|
90
|
Fig. 9 Weight loss level based on the concentration of 1800 ppm Robinia pseudoacania L after one week
Table 4 Inhibitory percentage of Robinia pseudoacania L in corrosive media of sodium chloride 0.5 M after two weeks of immersion
Concentration Robinia pseudoacania L and 0.5 M NaCl (W/V)
|
W0
|
Wcorr
|
IE %
|
Blank
|
2.0504
|
2.0469
|
-
|
200 ppm
|
2.0303
|
2.0297
|
83
|
400 ppm
|
2.5695
|
2.5684
|
69
|
600 ppm
|
2.5570
|
2.5557
|
63
|
800 ppm
|
2.5847
|
2.5828
|
46
|
1000 ppm
|
2.3056
|
2.3055
|
97
|
1200 ppm
|
2.1317
|
2.1314
|
91
|
1400 ppm
|
2.6040
|
2.6031
|
75
|
1600 ppm
|
2.8395
|
2.8392
|
91
|
1800 ppm
|
2.0985
|
2.0984
|
97
|
Fig. 10 Weight loss level based on 1800 ppm concentration of Robinia pseudoacania L after two weeks
Table 5 Inhibitory percentage of Robinia pseudoacania L in corrosive media of sodium chloride 0.5 M after three weeks of immersion
Concentration Robinia pseudoacania L and 0.5 M NaCl (W/V)
|
W0
|
Wcorr
|
IE %
|
Blank
|
2.0621
|
2.0577
|
-
|
200 ppm
|
2.3348
|
2.3333
|
66
|
400 ppm
|
3992.5
|
2.5377
|
50
|
600 ppm
|
2.4962
|
2.4943
|
57
|
800 ppm
|
2.6207
|
2.6173
|
23
|
1000 ppm
|
2.1186
|
2.1170
|
64
|
1200 ppm
|
2.3403
|
2.3390
|
71
|
1400 ppm
|
2.5824
|
2.5809
|
66
|
1600 ppm
|
2.6022
|
2.6011
|
75
|
1800 ppm
|
2.0587
|
2.0585
|
95
|
Fig. 11 Weight loss level based on 1800 ppm concentration of Robinia pseudoacania L after three weeks
Table 6 Inhibitory percentage of Robinia pseudoacania L in corrosive media of sodium chloride 0.5 M after four weeks of immersion
Concentration Robinia pseudoacania L and 0.5 M NaCl (W/V)
|
W0
|
Wcorr
|
IE %
|
Blank
|
2.1446
|
2.1395
|
-
|
200 ppm
|
2.1489
|
2.1465
|
55
|
400 ppm
|
2.5637
|
2.5598
|
27
|
600 ppm
|
2.5732
|
2.5690
|
21
|
800 ppm
|
2.5265
|
2.5230
|
34
|
1000 ppm
|
2.0030
|
2.0005
|
47
|
1200 ppm
|
2.5633
|
2.5618
|
72
|
1400 ppm
|
2.6731
|
2.6718
|
76
|
1600 ppm
|
2.4807
|
2.4802
|
90
|
1800 ppm
|
2.0847
|
2.0843
|
92
|
Fig. 12 Weight loss level based on 1800 ppm concentration of Robinia pseudoacania L after four weeks
Experiment in the humidity compartment
After preparing the coupons with a percentage of (Cu-10Sn), the coupons were completely polished using sandpaper with grades 400 to 2200 to create a completely smooth surface. Then, the coupons were rinsed with distilled water and degreased by alcohol. The samples were placed in an oven at 120 ° C for one hour. The coupons were immersed in Robinia pseudoacania L with concentrations of 1000 ppm for 24 and 48 hours. After removing the coupons, they were dried at room temperature for one hour and photographed to examine the change in appearance color on the coupon surfaces (Fig. 13 to 15). To accelerate the corrosion, the samples were transferred to the humidity compartment. Coupons were placed in a relative humidity of 95 ± 2 and a temperature of 25 to 30 ° C. The samples underwent sodium chloride 0.5 spray based on the standards of (ASTM, G85) and (ISO, 9227). Four weeks later, the samples were removed from the humidifier compartment and examined to evaluate the effect of the inhibitor on the coupon surfaces by using SEM-EDX device (Fig. 16 to 18).