The inhibitive action of chitosan extracted from Archachatina marginata shells on the corrosion of plain carbon steel in acid media

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this investigation was to study the inhibitive action and adsorption potential of chitosan extracted from Archachatina marginata snail shells on the corrosion of plain carbon (mild) steel in acid media.

Design/methodology/approach

Weight loss and thermometric methods were used during this investigation. Characterization of the obtained chitosan was accomplished with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. The effects of parameters influencing the inhibition process (concentration and temperature) were evaluated, and the sorption isotherms and thermodynamic parameters were derived.

Findings

The results obtained showed that chitosan has good inhibition potential with an efficiency of 93.2 per cent. The inhibition efficiency decreased with an increase in temperature but increased with increasing concentration of chitosan. Test results best fitted the Langmuir Isotherm with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.999. The thermodynamic parameters studied reveal that the adsorption of chitosan on the surface of mild steel is spontaneous.

Originality/value

The paper fulfills an identified need in finding solutions to the problems of metal corrosion using agricultural wastes.

Citation

Okoronkwo, A.E., Olusegun, S.J. and Oluwasina, O.O. (2015), "The inhibitive action of chitosan extracted from Archachatina marginata shells on the corrosion of plain carbon steel in acid media", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 62 No. 1, pp. 13-18. https://doi.org/10.1108/ACMM-10-2013-1307