Nature-inspired Aluminum Protection : Unveiling the Anti-corrosive Power of Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract in Aggressive Alkaline-chloride Environments
摘要
The corrosion of aluminum alloys is a major problem in many industrial sectors. To develop sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to classical corrosion inhibitors, the use of plant extracts has attracted increasing interest. Plant extracts contain a variety of bioactive substances, such as polyphenols, which possess corrosion-inhibitory properties. Plant extracts are biodegradable and pose minimal risk to human health and ecosystems.Consistent with the prevailing research trends in this field, this study evaluated the ability of a hydro-ethanolic extract of Rosmarinus officinalis leaves (RoHE) to protect AA 3003 aluminum alloy from corrosion in an aggressive alkaline-chloride solution (0.1 M Na₂CO₃ + 1 M NaCl). The phenolic constituents of RoHE were characterized by HPLC–DAD. Gravimetric and electrochemical measurements demonstrated a progressive enhancement of inhibition efficiency with increasing inhibitor concentration, reaching a maximum of 89.17% at 800 mg/L and 298 K. Thermodynamic analysis indicated a spontaneous, exothermic adsorption process involving both physisorption and chemisorption, while the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model highlighted the contribution of both physical and chemical interactions.Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed a significant reduction in surface corrosion in the presence of RoHE. The DFT studies on the two major phenolic constituents, rosmarinic acid and kaempferol, provided insight into the active sites and donor-acceptor interactions, elucidating the interfacial adsorption behavior of RoHE molecules on the aluminum surface.