Green corrosion inhibitors - A sustainable approach to metal protection in aggressive environment

Corrosion is the process by which a metal degrades because of chemical or electrochemical interactions with its environment. Acids, alkalis, humidity, pH, temperature, and salts are some of the main elements that contribute to this deterioration of metal and cause corrosion. Acids are frequently used to clean, descale, and pickle metal surfaces. Corrosion is a significant industrial problem since metallic parts lose mass during this process. Plant extracts, polymeric compounds, nanomaterials, inorganic and organic materials, and pharmaceutical molecules have all been used as corrosion inhibitors to inhibit metals from corroding in acidic environments. The study focuses on the adsorption of bioactive compounds such as tannins, flavonoids, and alkaloids onto metal surfaces to provide barriers against corrosive substances; however, a significant barrier still remains that their commercial use is limited by the fact that their inhibitory efficiency decreases with increasing temperature, and their uniformity and effectiveness are also affected by environmental factors that result in plant composition diversity.