Development of Corrosion Inhibitor for Aluminum using Musa acuminata cv.

Cavendish Leaf
Extract

Chapter 1

A. Background of the Study

Aluminum (Al), having the atomic number 13 on the periodic table and being the second most
abundant metallic element, is widely used in different applications and industries in Earth such as
construction, transportation, automobile, packaging, and electricity (Shivade, 2018). In terms of building
and construction industries, it is generally used due to its features and properties in particular, durability,
low cost, lightness, malleability, etc (Laminazionesottile, n.d.). It is also an added factor that Aluminum
can resist corrosion due to the presence of surface oxide layer. Despite the advantages of Aluminum, it is
not always resistant to corrosion (Sanni and Popoola, 2017). When it is exposed to acidic solutions such
as sulfuric acids or basic solutions, the oxide layer disintegrates and can cause corrosion ( Verma, Ebenso,
Bahadur, & Quraishi, 2018).
Corrosion is one of the damaging and naturally occurring problems that can occur to a number of
substances and materials. It can cause numerous issues, from bathroom floods to the collapsion of
buildings (“Corrosion and Corrosive Prevention”, n.d.). In order to prevent these, one of the solutions is to
use inhibitors. Corrosion Inhibitors are chemical substances added to any process fluid and used to reduce
the corrosion rate of a material (Sanni & Popoola, 2017). However, most inhibitors are harmful and toxic
to the environment. This has led to the need and the development for organic inhibitors which are eco-
friendly, economical, biodegradable, etc (Tambun, Christamore, Pakpahan, & Haryanto, 2018).
Plants contain an enormous number of phytochemicals, which can be used to replace the traditional
and chemical inhibitors. Not only are they environmental-friendly and can reduce hazards, they are also
abundant, renewable, efficient, and useful (Veedu, Kalarikkal, Jayakumar, & Gopalan, 2019). Compared to
the other parts of a plant, the leaves contain the most abundant supply of phytochemicals (Veedu et al.,
2019). From these plants, a substance with desirable properties that can be extracted are known as plant
extracts. Plant extracts are abundant sources of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, which are known as
natural corrosion inhibitors (Prabakaran, Kim, Hemapriya, & Chung, 2016). These extracts can be
obtained from different plants in order to be used for a particular purpose.

Musa Acuminata cv. Cavendish, commonly known as Cavendish bananas, are one of the most
produced fruits or plant in the Philippines. In 2018, it accounts for 52% of the total banana production,
which accumulates to 9.36 million metric tonnes (Vezina, 2019). The bananas’ main uses revolve around
health, medicine, and edibility while its leaves are used for decorative, packaging or wrapping purposes
(Fern, 2020). The leaves of the banana contain large amounts of polyphenols, which are associated to
different health benefits (Sarin, 2017). However, these compounds are also known for its property to
resist corrosion (Devraj, 2019).

B. Statement of the Problem

1. What is the corrosion rate and inhibition efficiency of the Musa Acuminata cv. Cavendish Leaf
Extract in 1 M Sulfuric Acid in varying concentrations, specifically:
1.1. 0 ml/L;
1.2. 2 ml/L;
1.3. 5 ml/L; and
1.4. 7 ml/L of 1 M H₂SO₄?
2. What is the significant difference between the varying masses of the Musa Acuminata cv.
Cavendish Lead Extract in terms of the corrosion rate and inhibition efficiency?

C. Hypothesis
 1. There is no significant difference between the varying masses of the Musa Acuminata cv. Cavendish
Leaf extract in terms of the corrosion rate and inhibition efficiency.
2. There is a significant difference between the varying masses of the Musa Acuminata cv. Cavendish
Leaf extract in terms of the corrosion rate and inhibition efficiency.

D. Significance of the Study

The researchers developed a corrosion inhibitor for aluminum from Musa Acuminata cv. Cavendish Leaf
extracts. The study gave viable information about Musa Acuminata cv. Cavendish leaf extract which may
help in uncovering new possibilities in decreasing the production of chemical and traditional inhibitors that
can harm the environment. Also, the findings of this study could increase the efficiency of the production
of organic inhibitors.

The study would be useful to environmental organizations for this study provides vital information
about the benefits of organic inhibitors. Consequently, outlining additional solutions for these
organizations in order to lessen the amount of hazardous chemicals in the atmosphere in hopes of
decreasing the effects to the environment.

Additionally, agricultural organizations may find useful material in this study in terms of selecting and
producing specific plant species, which contains an abundant number of phytochemicals, that can be used
as an inhibitor for corrosion without harming its vulnerability.

Furthermore, the research may be of service for aspiring researchers, for this research provides
valuable information about the methods and results of the Musa Acuminata cv. Cavendish leaf extract
which may be applicatory to other plant properties analyses of other variants of this species.

E. Scope and Limitations

This study is mainly focused in developing a corrosion inhibitor that will be applied in materials made
from aluminum. It will only revolve around the use of Musa Acuminata cv. Cavendish Leaf Extract since it
is one of the most abundant fruits in the Philippines. The researchers will be doing the Weight Loss Method
and no other techniques will be done. This test will help the researchers determine the corrosion rate and
the Inhibition Efficiency.

The study will only focus on aluminum due to the fact that they are mostly used in numerous
industries and applications, which can result to different problems if not solved. In order to test the
effectiveness of the inhibitor, Sulfuric Acid will be used as the medium, where the aluminum will be soaked
in. It will not cover other chemicals or solutions.
 D. Definition of terms

Malleability – substance’s ability to deform under pressure. (compressive stress) (Wikipedia,2019)

Corrosion – A natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically-stable such as oxide
hydroxide or sulfide. (Wikipedia,2019)

Inhibitor – A substance that reduces or suppresses the activity of another substance. (Merriam-
Wester,2019)

Phytochemical – A term that refers to a variety of plant-derived compounds with therapeutic activities.
(ScienceDirect,2016)

Phenolic – a usually thermosetting resin or plastic made by condensation of a phenol with an aldehyde and
used especially for molding and insulating and in coatings and adhesives. (Merriam-Webster,2020)

Flavonoid – A diverse group of phytonutrients found in almost all fruits and vegetables.
(LiveScience,2015)

Polyphenol – A category of chemicals that naturally occur in plants. (Medical News Today,2017)

Aluminum – A silver-white metallic chemical element with atomic number 13. (Merriam-Webster,2020)

Sulfuric Acid – A heavy corrosive oily dibasic strong acid H2SO4 that is colorless when pure and is a
vigorous oxidizing and dehydrating agent (Merriam- Webster,2019)

Surface Oxide Layer – Oxide layers are then much thicker than the layers measured during tests carried
out without compression hold time. (ScienceDirect,2017)

Weight Loss Method – This is a quantitative method used in monitoring and measuring external or internal
corrosion in metallic structures. (CorrosionPedia, n.d.)
REFERENCES

Corrosion and Corrosion Prevention. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.electrochem.org/corrosion-

science

Devraj, R. (2019, July 24). Mango leaves: Indian scientists’ solution to a $2.5 trillion global shipping
problem. Retrieved from https://qz.com/india/1673557/indian-scientists-use-mango-leaf-to-prevent-
ships-from-rusting/

Fern, K. (2020, January 4). Tropical Plants Database. Retrieved from

http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Musa
%20acuminata&fbclid=IwAR1r2kJu5vZheQdLtzqfoOhXWvi0usKQW1fw5DXWs-iLfK7_HENJnqFbRN0
Laminazionesottile. (n.d.). Aluminum in the Building and Construction Industries. Retrieved from
https://www.laminazionesottile.com/blog/en/aluminium-building-construction-industries/

Prabakaran, M., Kim, S.-H., Hemapriya, V., & Chung, I.-M. (2016, May 25). Evaluation of polyphenol
composition and anti-corrosion properties of Cryptostegia grandiflora plant extract on mild steel in acidic
medium. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 37, 47–56. Retrieved from from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1226086X16300090

Sanni, O., & Popoola, A. P. (2017, February 28). Gluconates as Corrosion Inhibitor of Aluminum in Various
Corrosive Media. Aluminium Alloys - Recent Trends in Processing, Characterization, Mechanical Behavior
and Applications. Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/books/aluminium-alloys-recent-trends-in-
processing-characterization-mechanical-behavior-and-applications/gluconates-as-corrosion-inhibitor-of-
aluminum-in-various-corrosive-media

Sarin, D. (2017, December 28). This Is Why You Must Eat On a Banana Leaf. Retrieved from
https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/this-is-why-you-must-eat-on-a-banana-leaf-1793056

Shivade, M. (2018, May 15). Uses of Aluminum. Retrieved from https://sciencestruck.com/aluminum-

uses-of-aluminum

Tambun, R., Christamore, E., Pakpahan, Y. F., & Haryanto, B. (2018). Banana peel utilization as the green
corrosion inhibitor of Iron in NaCl medium. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and
Engineering, 420, 012059. Retrieved from https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-
899X/420/1/012059/pdf

Veedu, K. K., Kalarikkal, T. P., Jayakumar, N., & Gopalan, N. K. (2019). Anticorrosive Performance of
Mangifera indica L. Leaf Extract-Based Hybrid Coating on Steel. ACS Omega, 4(6), 10176–10184.
Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6648491/
Verma, C., Ebenso, E. E., Bahadur, I., & Quraishi, M. (2018, September 15). An overview on plant
extracts as environmental sustainable and green corrosion inhibitors for metals and alloys in aggressive
corrosive media. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 266, 577–590. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016773221831417X
Vezina, A. (2019, October 11). Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.promusa.org/Philippines

Chapter 2

Review Related Literature

 1. Corrosion of Metals
The corrosion of metals is a deliberate problem for various industries. Corrosion is a downgrading of metal
because of environmental disintegration. It is an electrochemical progress that begins at the surface.
Corrosion problems such as; waste of valuable resources and contamination of products are daily
encountered. This problem caused stimulant of corrosion control research in some oil production facilities.
Corrosion defiance of alloys has become a on-going research because of its certain consequences.

2. Organic corrosion inhibitor

Organic corrosion inhibitors are used to protect a material from corrosion (Brycki et al, 2017).These are
used in the industry due to their effective and compatibility with other materials.(Brycki et al, 2017).
Plants are rich in phytochemicals which is their way of defense from external destructive agents such as
pathogens and predators. (Srinivas, 2019). Polyphenols are phytochemicals which are known to resist
corrosion. There is a team of Indian scientist who used mango leaves as an organic inhibitor to prevent
ships from corroding. According to Nishanth K Gopalan mango leaves were used for their anti-oxidant
properties and their rich content of polyphenols. (Devraj, 2019) The use of different plant extracts, drugs
and ionic liquids gained an acceptable consideration of the development of green corrosion inhibitors.

3. Leaf extracts
Leaves extract displayed better inhibition performance as correspond to the extract of other extracts of
the plants. Because of the harmful action of corrosion inhibitors, the natural and biological origin that have
a little effect on the environment is highly recommended. Phytochemicals are being employ as a nature-
friendly and effective alternative for toxic corrosion inhibitors. The plant extract contains organic
compounds that can adsorb on metallic surface that also acts as corrosion inhibitors.

4. Theobroma Cacao peel extract as the eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for mild steel

Indonesia is the largest producer of cacao in the world. It results a massive solid waste that’s why the
government prioritize the cacao to be recycled. The cacao peel waste can be turned into a corrosion
inhibitor. Cacao peel extract contain various chemical compounds like flavonoid and tannin.

5. Alkaloid Extract of Geissospermum laeve as a Corrosion Inhibitor for C38 steel using 1 M
Hydrochloric Acid as a medium

The inhibition effect of alkaloids extract (AE) of Geissospermum laeve on C38 steel in 1 M HCl was
explored by Faustin et al. with the use of electrochemical and surface study (SEM and EDX) methods.
.They found that AE function as good corrosion inhibitor and achieve the maximum inhibition efficiency of
92% at 100 mg/L concentration The related study of AE of and geissospermine alone determined that the
geissospermine is the active compound of the AE answerable for the inhibition performance of the G.
laeve.

REFERENCES
Omotayo Sanni-Abimbola Popoola (2017, December 21) Gluconates As Corrosion Inhibitor Of Aluminum in
Various Corrosive Media. Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/books/aluminium-alloys-recent-
trends-in-processing-characterization-mechanical-behavior-and-applications/gluconates-as-corrosion-
inhibitor-of-aluminum-in-various-corrosive-media
Brycki, B. E., Kowalczyk, I. H., Szulc, A., Kaczerewska, O., & Pakiet, M. (2017, December 20). Organic
Corrosion Inhibitors. Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/books/corrosion-inhibitors-principles-
and-recent-applications/organic-corrosion-inhibitors.
Yuli Yetri – Gunawarman-Novesar Jamarun (2018,April 4) Theobroma cacao peel extract as eco-friendly
corrosion inhibitor for mild steel. Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/books/corrosion-inhibitors-
principles-and-recent-applications/theobroma-cacao-peel-extract-as-the-eco-friendly-corrosion-inhibitor-
for-mild-steel
Milcard Faustin, Alexandre Maciuk, Paule Salvin, Christophe Roos, Mounim Lebrini (2015 March)Corrosion
inhibition of C38 steel by alkaloids extract of Geissospermum laeve in 1 M hydrochloric acid:
Electrochemical and phytochemical studies. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272200372_Corrosion_inhibition_of_C38_steel_by_alkaloids_ex
tract_of_Geissospermum_laeve_in_1_M_hydrochloric_acid_Electrochemical_and_phytochemical_studies

Development of Corrosion Inhibitor for Aluminum using Musa acuminata cv. Cavendish Leaf
Extract

SCIENCE INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

PRESENTED BY:
Estor Marc Raymond G.
Corpuz Gerald Justine
Caesar Agnesandra
Ulep Edryl Pablo
Khan Nino