The effect of l-histidine and plant extracts on the corrosion of steel

The longevity of structures made of steel are threatened by corrosion. In response, many forms of protections have been made to limit the effect of corrosion on steel. This experiment was conducted to see if amino acid corrosion inhibitors were more efficient than plant extract corrosion inhibitors in lowering the corrosion rate of steel pellets. Plant extracts were not only tested because of their inhibition efficiency, but also to present a corrosion inhibitor that was plentiful and environmentally safe in the community. Major findings of this experiment would be useful in protection of corrosion prone structures such as buildings or vehicles. It was hypothesized that if L-histidine is used as the corrosion inhibitor, the metal will be most protected from corrosion and have a lower corrosion rate. The experiment was performed by changing the L-histidine, Tagetes erecta, and Camellia sinensis into aqueous forms. Steel pellets that were massed prior to the experiment were soaked in these solutions. The steel pellets were then placed in a sulfuric acid. The mass of the pellets were taken after the pellets remained in the acid for 7 days. The weight loss method was used to determine the corrosion rate for each steel pellet. The statistical analysis showed F(2, 87)=1.09, p>.05. Therefore, this experiment showed no statistical difference between the three experimental corrosion inhibitors.