A critical review on green corrosion inhibitors based on plant extracts: Advances and potential presence in the market

Corrosion occurs in all sectors including oil pipelines, drinking water and sewerage in the majority of cases linked to corrosion of steel. Good corrosion management includes optimising corrosion control actions and minimising lifecycle corrosion costs whilst meeting environmental goals. The toxicity of commonly used synthetic inhibitors are the subject of recent legislations (REACH and PARCOM) have led to search on more eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors. Extensive research is conducted to assess the corrosion inhibition rate of diverse green inhibitors. However, it was not adequately recommended for widespread use furthermore, presenting at the business level. This paper critically reviews green plant extracts corrosion inhibitors with a particular emphasis on their efficiency. In addition, a comprehensive list of potentially effective plant extracts has been compiled. Also, the successful use of naturally occurring substances to inhibit the corrosion of metals in acidic and alkaline environment has been investigated. The results showed that the corrosion rate of mild steel in 1 M HCl and 0.5 M H2SO4 decreases with the increase in concentration of the banana extracts. In conclusion, corrosion inhibitors based on plant extracts represent a reliable economic eco-friendly alternative for corrosion inhibition based on their availability and efficiency. The challenges toward the commercial application of green inhibitors have been drawn from the literature. © 2021, Russian Association of Corrosion Engineers. All rights reserved.