Sustainable approach for corrosion control in mild steel using plant-based inhibitors: a review

The integrity of mild steel affects its performance in many areas of modern manufacturing. On the other hand, corrosion remains an important concern with mild steel because it reverts mild steel to its most stable oxide state. This has led to an increased search for sustainable alternatives to conventional inorganic corrosion inhibitors. Plant-based inhibitors are fast gaining more attention among researchers due to their relative advantages. To holistically address corrosion in mild steel, the sustainability perspective which cuts across the economics, safety, and environmental impacts of plant-based inhibitors from plant-based extracts must be considered. Furthermore, a clear understanding of the current trends in the deployment of environment-friendly inhibitors is necessary to operate in different environments. This study examines adsorption mechanisms, characterization techniques, as well as several factors affecting the inhibition efficiency of plant-based corrosion inhibitors in relation to economic, safety, and environmental considerations. Additionally, it outlines a plan that allows for a structured reflection on the existing literature on corrosion control and management based on a sustainability perspective. Finally, it has been identified in this review that although researchers have made a tremendous effort for corrosion inhibition in mild steel using other techniques, more research is still needed to develop sustainable technologies that could assist in isolating bioactive compounds responsible for inhibition, which could further minimize the incidence of wastage attributable to the inability to ascertain the exact amount of plant extracts for certain corrosion inhibition processes.