LAUSR

Abstract There are various types of procedures in the petroleum industries that uses 15% hydrochloric acid solution. Use of HCl often results into corrosion of stainless steel (SS) 410. In this study, extract prepared from waste material, Beta vulgaris peel has been explored as green corrosion inhibitor for SS 410 in 15% HCl solution. Potentiodynamic polarization study showed maximum 90.17% corrosion inhibition efficiency at 4 g/L of B. vulgaris peel extract in 15% HCl solution. Scanning electron, atomic force microscopy and X-rays diffraction study confirmed the adsorption of B. vulgaris peel extract on the SS 410 surface. The peel extract followed Langmuir adsorption isotherm, which confirmed monolayer formation on the surface of SS 410. Vitexin was found to be main phytochemical responsible for the anti-corrosive effect according to the theoretical and computational studies. Vitexin and SS 410 interactions were studied by molecular simulation. Overall, the B. vulgaris peel extract has shown anti-corrosive behaviour against SS 410 surface in 15% hydrochloric acid.