Inhibitory Capabilities of Sweet Yellow Capsicum Extract toward the Rusting of Steel Rebars in Cement Pore Solution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Corrosion Engineering

Background:

• Steel reinforcement corrosion is a major cause of concrete degradation.
• Developing eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors is crucial for infrastructure longevity.
• Plant-based extracts offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic inhibitors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the corrosion inhibition efficiency of sweet yellow capsicum extract (SYCE) on steel rebars.
• To understand the inhibition mechanism of SYCE in cement pore solution (CPS).
• To explore the potential of SYCE as a concrete additive for corrosion protection.

Main Methods:

• Electrochemical techniques (e.g., potentiodynamic polarization, EIS) were used.
• Mass loss measurements were conducted.
• Analysis of SYCE constituents and adsorption isotherms (Freundlich).

Main Results:

• SYCE demonstrated significant mixed-type corrosion inhibition for steel rebars in CPS.
• Optimal inhibition efficiency reached 97.5% at 300 ppm SYCE.
• SYCE increased activation energy and followed physical adsorption mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• SYCE is a highly effective, eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for steel in concrete.
• The organic compounds in SYCE adsorb onto the steel surface, hindering corrosion reactions.
• SYCE shows promise as a novel concrete additive for enhancing durability.