Analysis of the inhibiting action of pectin on corrosion of AISI1040 dual-phase steel with ferrite–martensite and ferrite–bainite structure: a comparison in 0.5 M sulphuric acid

The adsorption of pectin and corrosion inhibition of dual-phase AISI1040 steel with ferrite–martensite and ferrite–bainite structure in 0.5 M sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) solution have been investigated using the weightloss method. This work investigates the adsorption mechanism and quantum chemical calculations of pectin. For a specific set of parameters such as immersion time and concentration of inhibitor, the maximum inhibition efficiency of 83.36% is observed. The inhibition efficiency increased with pectin concentration and decreased with immersion time at 30 ℃. The results from the statistical analysis show that the concentration of inhibitor is having the highest influence with a 43.87% contribution on the inhibition efficiency. The adsorption study revealed that the Langmuir adsorption isotherm gave the best-fit results out of all the isotherms studied. Theoretical studies based on density functional theory supported experimental observations. From the results, it was also observed that lower weight loss and better inhibition efficiency are achieved in the case of ferrite–bainite when compared to the ferrite–martensite structure. Surface characterization confirmed corrosion and inhibition on the surface of the metal as the surface became uneven when exposed to a corrosive medium and smooth when immersed in the inhibited solution.