Hydroclathrus clathratus marine alga as a green inhibitor of acid corrosion of mild steel

The corrosion inhibitive and adsorption behaviors of Hydroclathrus clathratus on mild steel in 1 M HCl and 1 M H₂SO₄ solutions at 303, 313 and 323 K were investigated by weight loss, electrochemical, and surface analysis techniques. The results show that H. clathratus acts as an inhibitor of corrosion of mild steel in acid media. The inhibition efficiency was found to increase with increase in inhibitor concentration but to decrease with rise in temperature, suggestive of physical adsorption. The adsorption of the inhibitor onto the mild steel surface was found to follow the Temkin adsorption isotherm. The inhibition mechanism was further corroborated by the results obtained from electrochemical methods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses supported the inhibitive action of the alga against acid corrosion of mild steel.