Protection of C38 Steel in Acidic Solution by Eucalyptus Sidroxylon Essential Oil

Eucalyptus essential oil offers numerous benefits for the immune system through its antioxidant constituents. In this investigation, we attempted to explore another field of application, in which we exploit the corrosion inhibition potential of Eucalyptus Sideroxylon (ES) essential oil to protect C38 steel in an acidic solution of HCl. To uncover the facts, careful research was designed using fundamental measurements of gravimetric and electrochemical techniques, combined with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis. The finding measurements showed that ES reduces the rate of corrosion that shows up on polarization curves as a mixed inhibitor. Furthermore, the impedance data acquisition revealed that the amount of charge transfer resistance has a high value when the ES concentration increases, we found 169.40 Ω cm2 for 2.4 g/L of ES giving an efficiency of 80%. Moreover, the thermodynamic parameters showed that the interaction of ES with the metal surface is endothermic, characterized by physical adsorption.