Performance of Artemisia absinthium as an Ecological Corrosion Inhibitor in the Industrial Pickling Process

The chemical composition and inhibitory potency of essential oil extracted from the Artemisia absinthium plant cultivated in eastern Morocco have been evaluated. The RAO oil constituents were characterized by (GC-MS) and FTIR techniques, the main components were eucalyptol (34.82%), camphor (17.25%), pulegone (12.99%), β-pinene (8.2%), terpene-4-ol (4.2%). The hydro-distilled oil was evaluated as an ecologically corrosion inhibitor while using mild steel (MS) in molar hydrochloric acid. The comportment of the metal in the acidic electrolyte including various concentration of the oil has been examined by the gravimetric method as well as the electrochemical techniques. The inhibitory performance attained 92% at the concentration 2 g/l. Polarization investigation (PDP) demonstrated that the oil was a mixed-type inhibitor and verified Langmuir isotherm model, while the EIS study showed that the corrosion process is controlled by transferring charge. Additionally, the activation and thermodynamic aspects were examined and confirmed the growth of energy barrier and blockage of active site that led to MS corrosion. The steel morphology surface was analyzed using SEM and UV–Vis techniques. Finally, the computed theoretical parameters have been interpreted. These findings provide important information regarding the anticorrosion ability of this essential oil, implying its potential industrial applications. Graphical Abstract