HONEY AND ​Aloe vera​ GEL AS A CORROSION INHIBITOR IN IRON METALS

Ateneo de Davao University - Junior High School Unit

Matina, Davao City

Astrid Jude Marie F. Apellado

Jan Alexander Miguel S. Duldulao
Bianca Jireh Landanganon

10 - St. Francis Xavier

Ms. Eleanor P. Corcino

Project Adviser

March 07, 2018

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 ABSTRACT

Corrosion of metals, though a seemingly natural process of decomposition of

metal, proves to be quite difficult to combat especially in the event of prolonging the
quality of a material. Thus, artificial and natural inhibitors were discovered and produced
to combat such an event. This research explores an alternative to resist the speed of
corrosion in metals, particularly iron. Green inhibitors, honey and ​A. vera​, were used as
primary subjects of the study instead of artificial inhibitors, anti-corrosion coatings for
example, so to have a significantly low cost of expenses and to promote eco-friendly
products for research. Common nails were used in the research and were coated first
with the mixture of ​A. vera and honey. The ​A.vera was extracted to acquire its
parenchymatous tissue for easier process of natural coating. Honey was retained to its
original composition. These
materials were then combined to form a mixture. Acetic acid was added later as
a substitute of an unstable environment to create rust. It’s been hypothesized that the
combination of these inhibitors would significantly prevent these nails from the state of
rusting. These were then compared through having an uninhibited nail as the dependent
variable and the mixture of A. vera and honey as the independent variable and was
weighed if there have been any significant changes on both samples.

Though there was an ample amount of evidence that truly, ​A. vera and honey are
effective inhibitors from rusting of iron metals, the researchers recommended the
research to have further analyzation between the individual performances of ​A. vera
and honey and compare which among them have a greater efficiency of resisting rust.
In addition to this, combining honey and ​A. vera should also be compared if this would
further increase its resistance.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The proponents of the study would like to recognize Mr. and Mrs. Apellado, Mr. and
Mrs. Duldulao, and Mr. and Mrs. Landanganon for their support as the proponents
conducted their study. The proponents would also like to recognize and the efforts of
Ms. Eleanor Corcino for dedicating her time and imparting her knowledge of chemistry
for the School Year 2017-2018, enlightening her students to continue and never give up
in finishing tasks given despite distractions and disturbances present along the way.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Title Page …………………………………………………………………………p. 1

II. Abstract …………………………………………………………………………...p.2
III. Acknowledgement…………………………………………………...,................p.3
IV. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………… pp. 5-8
A. Background of the Study ………………………………………………………..p. 5
B. Significance of the Study ………………………………………………………..p. 6
C. Scope and Limitations …………………………………………………………...p. 6
D. Statement of the Problem and Objectives ……………………………………..p.7
E. Hypothesis Statement ……………………………………………………………p. 7
F. Definition of Terms ………………………………………………………………. p.7-8
V. Review of Related Literature …………………………………………………...p. 9-10
VI. Methodology…………………………………………………………………….. p.11-12
VII. Results and Discussion ………………………………………………………..p. 13-15
VIII. Conclusion and Recommendations …………………………………………..p. 16
A. Conclusion ………………………………………………………………….…..p.16
B. Recommendations ……………………………………………………………..p. 16
IX. Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………..p. 17
X. Appendices ………………………………………………………………….….p. 17-19

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 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Due to the corrosive tendencies of various media, efforts had been made to
produce natural and artificial inhibitors to combat and minimize the rusting process of
the object. Metals are heavily affected by corrosion particularly iron of which, these were
used to common household materials, structural integrity of buildings, factories and etc.
Corrosion occurs as a result of exposure to oxygen and other gases from the
surrounding environment of the material. Rust, another form of corrosion, typically
occurs in iron-induced materials. With this occurring event, iron has been integrated
with various elements to reduce its corrosion rate and to have the capability to withstand
against unstable environments where oxidation and other causes exist.

There have been a significant increase of interest in further analysis of green

inhibitors especially on plant extracts because of the interesting properties it exhibit.
These natural materials were often described as having no containment of heavy metals
and toxic compounds that would have adverse effects with the interaction of rust.

B. Significance of the Study

Corrosion and rust have posed major risks in economical productions and the
structural integrity of buildings. For instance, a study showcased that corrosion had
prompted shutdowns of factories, contamination of products and had made products
gone to waste. Corrosion comes in different degrees, most commonly in the form of
rust. These types have the capability to reduce the quality of the product at a significant
amount depending on the type of exposure that the medium is in.

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 This study would be able to address this economical problem as corrosion can
greatly damage materials made out of metals, in which most appliances/objects today
are made of. Finding a corrosion inhibitor would greatly help address this problem.

C. Scope and Limitations

Materials, such as common nails, were readily acquired from a hardware store.
Honey was acquired from a local bee farm in Bukidnon and the ​A. vera from a local
market. Acetic acid was bought in a local convenience store.

The limitation of the study only lies on the limited time for research for the
researchers due to a number of distractions caused by their busy schedules resulting
for not being able to delve further through the subject of green inhibitors and its effects
to inhibit rust in iron. There should have been more careful analysis between the
individual performance of ​A. vera and honey as inhibitors of rust and subsequently, the
combination of the two.

D. Statement of the Problem and Objectives

Problem
Are the antioxidant properties of ​A. vera​ and honey effective as means of
inhibiting iron from apparent rusting?

Objectives

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 The intention of the study is exhibited through the following points:
❏ validate that green inhibitors, through ​A. vera ​and honey, are truly
effective inhibitors of metals particularly iron.
❏ compare uninhibited iron to iron coated with ​A. vera​ and honey through
weighing and observing the possible chemical changes that would occur.
❏ connection of quantity of the inhibitor to the effectiveness of combating
rust in iron.

E. Hypothesis Statement

Green inhibitors, such as combining ​A. vera ​and honey, has greater effectivity in
inhibiting rusting in iron.

F. Definition of Terms

Corrosion ​- ​deterioration of a metal as a result of chemical reactions between it and the

surrounding environment. It appears in several forms: chemical corrosion and
atmospheric corrosion.

Flavonoids - ​a large family of ​polyphenolic plant compounds. This compound has the
capability to resist the effects of corrosion in materials because of its antioxidant
properties.

Green inhibitors/Green corrosion inhibitors - refers to the substances that have

biocompatibility in nature. The inhibitors like plant extracts presumably possess
biocompatibility due to their biological origin. A prime example of the chemical
composition present in these substances are antioxidants.

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Inhibitors - ​the decrease in rate of ​reaction brought about by the ​addition of a
substance (inhibitor), by virtue of its effect on the ​concentration of a reactant, catalyst or
reaction​ intermediate.

Polyphenols - this chemical structure is known to be a type of phytochemical, meaning

compounds found abundantly in natural plant food sources that have antioxidant
properties.

Saponins - glucosides with foaming characteristics. Saponins are phytochemicals

which can be found in most vegetables, beans and herbs. Example of this material is
aloe vera.

Rust - ​result of corroding steel after the iron (Fe) particles have been exposed to
oxygen and moisture (e.g., humidity, vapor, immersion).

Weight-Loss Method - A method that involves exposing a specimen of material (the

nails) to a process environment for a given duration, then removing the specimen for
analysis.

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 CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

A. ​vera and honey gel has been commonly used as antioxidants for the body. It
has quite a lot of benefits when it comes to dealing with health. However these
antioxidants can as well be a great help in inhibiting irons from rusting. One of the
compounds present in ​A. ​Vera ​are Lignins and Saponins. These compounds aim to help
in penetrating and cleansing the body. To irons, ​A. ​Vera ​can be a great help since its
properties are ​anti-microbial and protect against bacteria, viruses and fungi (Pasarić,
n.d.). Basically it helps prevent from further rusting. Honey gel, though it contains 76%
of sugar, it also contains ​varying concentrations of polyphenols which also contains
powerful antioxidants (Nazario, 2004). Therefore these two antioxidants will aid in
inhibiting irons from too much rusting and prevent it from corrosion.

In one study, ​A.vera gel extract was investigated as green corrosion inhibitor of
mild steel in acetic acid solution using weight-loss . The experimental result shows that
the Aloe vera gel extract is good corrosion inhibitor (Vashi and Chaudhari, 2017).
Another study also showed that an aqueous extract of ​A. vera had excellent IE in
controlling corrosion of csteel in aqueous solution containing sea water. Weight loss
method reveals that 4ml of the extract provide 98% inhibition efficiency. (Sribharathy,
et. al., n.d.).

A similar study also showed that the inhibitory action of natural honey on the
corrosion of C-steel, which used in manufacturer of petroleum pipelines, in high saline
water was evaluated. The inhibition efficiency was calculated using weight loss
measurements and potentiostatic polarization technique. It was found that, natural
honey exhibited a very good performance as inhibitor for steel corrosion in high saline
water (​Abdallah​, et. al., 2013). Gerengia (2014) stated in his study that honey exhibited

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good anti-corrosive properties against corrosion of 2007-type aluminium alloy in the test
solution; the corrosion rates decreased with the increase of the mad honey
concentration. Finally, Adam, Odola, and Aji (2016) reported that the inhibition
concentrations increased, the inhibition efficiency also increased approximately up to an
optimum efficiency of 50.04% which is encouraging. It is here concluded that honey can
be used as corrosion inhibitor on mild steel. This will reduce maintenance cost and
environmental pollution.

Thus, the researchers of this study were enlightened by these studies to check
and verify if ​A. vera and honey is a viable corrosion inhibitor in iron metals exposed to
acetic acid.

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 CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

A. Flowchart

B. Procedures

3.1 Preparation of Materials. Materials were first prepared prior to the

experimentation. ½ kg of nails were bought from a hardware, a jar of honey was bought
in a local bee farm in Bukidnon, and the the acetic acid (200 mL) was purchased from a
convenience store. The ​A. vera plant, plastic containers, syringes, a knife and a batter
were already available thus were not purchased anymore.

3.1. Preparation of ​A. vera and Honey ​Gel. ​The collected mature and fresh leaves of
A. vera ​leaves (5) were thoroughly washed with tap water to remove dirt and their thick
epidermidis, with the use of a knife, was then dissected longitudinally into pieces. The
colourless parenchymatous tissue was collected in a clean plastic container. 50 mL of
honey was then measured through a syringe and was mixed with the parenchymatous
tissue collected in the container. The mixture was then mixed thoroughly using a batter.
The gel was then kept in a cool dry place.

3.2 Initial Weighing of the Nails​. Twenty nails were divided into four groups. Each
group was weighed using a digital weighing scale. Data was recorded.

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3.3 Preparation of Set-ups and Experimentation. Four plastic containers were
labeled with A, B, C, and D. Each container had 10 mL of acetic acid. The acetic acid
would serve as the oxidizing agent for the iron nails. Five nails were then placed inside
containers A and B. These nails were not coated with the gel to act as control. In
containers C and D, the nails were first applied with the gel before being exposed to the
acetic acid. The containers were sealed tightly thereafter. Containers were kept at a
cool dry place for 5 days.

3.4 Final Weighing of the Nails. ​After 5 days, the nails were removed from the
containers. The nails were washed with water to remove any corroded products, then
dried and re-weighed.

3.5 Data analysis, presentation, and interpretation. ​Data collected was analyzed
qualitatively and quantitatively. Data was presented through a table to show clear
differences. It was then explained in text.

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 CHAPTER IV
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Initial Mass Final Mass Mass Difference

Control Groups:

Container A 7.47 g 7.24 g 0.23 g

Container B 7.45 g 7.11 g 0. 34 g

Experimental Groups:

Container C 7.45 g 7.32 g 0.13 g

Container D 7.46 g 7.30 g 0.16 g

Table 1. ​Mass differences of the set-ups between their initial and final masses.

Initial Characteristics Final Characteristics

Control Groups

Container A Nails show no signs of Nails show signs of corrosion a

corrosion. Acetic acid is seen on the rusting of some of its
clear. areas. Acetic acid formed a liquid
with rusted particles. Liquid is
sticky and dark brown.

Container B Nails show no signs of Nails show signs of corrosion a

corrosion. Acetic acid is seen on the rusting of some of its
clear. areas. Acetic acid formed a liquid

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 with rusted particles. Liquid is
sticky and brown.

Experimental Groups:

Container C Nails show no signs of Nails show signs of corrosion a

corrosion. Acetic acid is seen on the rusting of some of its
clear. areas. Acetic acid formed a liquid
with rusted particles. Liquid is
inviscid, yellowish brown, and
translucent.

Container D Nails show no signs of Nails show signs of corrosion a

corrosion. Acetic acid is seen on the rusting of some of its
clear. areas. Acetic acid formed a liquid
with rusted particles. Liquid is
inviscid and black.

Table 2. Initial and final qualitative characteristics of iron nails.

After comparing the data gathered, iron nails in the control group significantly
showed signs of corrosion, wherein a huge difference was observed in mass after
exposing the nails to acetic acid. The physical characteristics of nails also changed in
which it has shown to rust. The liquid surrounding the nails also became rusty in color
(dark brown and brown) and was observed to be viscous. On the other hand, those in
the experimental groups, treated with the the A. vera and honey gel, still manifested
signs of corrosion but in a lesser degree than those in the control groups. Differences in
mass were only minimal, ranging from 0.13g to 0.16g. The Physical characteristics of
the nails still changed but were still at minimum, where the liquid was still not observed

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to be viscous and color changes still did not manifest colors of rust. Thus, the qualitative
and quantitative data support the hypothesis — Gel from A. vera ​and honey can be
used as a corrosion inhibitor in iron metals.

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 CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A. Conclusion

Based on a research investigating the effectiveness of green inhibitors to combat

corrosion and subsequently, rust, it was concluded that usage of these green inhibitors
are more effective than the artificial ones due to the fact that these natural materials do
not exhibit properties of toxicity or heavy metals. Green inhibitors are also
biodegradable and easily accessible by any forms of purchase. Honey and ​A. vera both
contain antioxidants that slow down oxidation, and of its forms include the corrosion of
metals. Based on the results of the study, the gel made of ​A. vera extract and honey
can potentially be used as a corrosion inhibitor in iron metals.

B. Recommendations

For future similar studies, the researchers recommend the following actions to be
taken into primary consideration:
1. Create more than 4 set-ups for more accurate and precise data.
2. Apply the ​A.vera ​and honey gel to other metals and check if it is still a viable
inhibitor of corrosion.
3. Use other plant extracts that contain antioxidants for the corrosion inhibitor gel.
4. Analyze the individual performance of ​A. vera​ and honey as inhibitors of rust.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND APPENDICES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

References:

Adam, M.K., Odola, P.O. & I.S. Aji (2016). Assessment of Honey as Corrosion Inhibitor
on Mild Steel . Retrieved on Feb. 28, 2018 from ​http://www.unimaid.edu.ng/oer/
Journals-oer/Engineering/Vol%207%20July%202016/14%20Mechanical%20Ada
m%20Corrosion.pdf

National Center for Biotechnology Information (2204). PubChem Compound Database.

Retrieved on March 01, 2018 from ​https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound
/27284

Sribharathy, V., et. al. (2013). Corrosion inhibition by an aq. extract of ​Aloe vera (L.)
Burm F.(Liliaceae). ​Retrieved on Feb. 28, 2018 from ​http://epa.niif.hu
/02200/02286/00017/pdf/EPA02286_CB_471-476.pdf

Vashi, R.T. & Chaudhari, H.G. (2017). The Study of Aloe-Vera gel Extract as Green
Corrosion Inhibitor for Mild Steel in Acetic acid. International Journal of
Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology. Retrieved on
March 01, 2018 from ​https://www.ijirset.com/upload/2017/november/96_11_
IJIRSET_%20Paper%20IJ61111674.pdf

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APPENDICES

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