Synergistic green inhibition of carbon steel in desalinated water using natural honey and fenugreek extract

• M. Emad¹, M. Benghanem², B. Hassan³, B. Alhouri², Y.M. Riyad¹ and F. Kooli¹

¹ Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah, 42351, Saudi Arabia
² Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah, 42351, Saudi Arabia
³ Department of Physics, College of Science, Qassim University, Buraydah, 51452, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: In the present work, a study was performed on the prevention of carbon steel corrosion in desalinated water systems using natural honey NH and Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum gracum, TFG) aqueous extracts as a novel green corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel. Depending upon the concentration ratio, these inhibitors’ ability to mitigate corrosion was examined both individually and in combination. This study employed potentiodynamic strategies together with the weight loss approach. Results revealed that as inhibitor concentrations rise, so do the inhibitors’ capacities for reducing corrosion rate. The addition of a solution containing 800 ppm NH to various concentrations of TFG significantly improved the inhibitor performance of (TFG). It was found that the optimum concentration was mixture of [800 ppm NH and 60 ppm TFG] yielding a maximum inhibition efficiency value of 93.1% weight loss and 87.2% electrochemical. These mixtures were found to affect both the anodic and cathodic polarization curves. Results demonstrated that the inhibitor’s effects on the anodic polarization are stronger than those on the cathodic polarization and show synergistic behavior. These findings inferred that the studied inhibitors served as mixed-type inhibitors with anodic predominance. The potentiodynamic tests show that the primary cause of the inhibition mechanism is the adsorption of inhibitor species on the metal surface, as evidenced from SEM studies of the corroded and inhibited steel specimens. It’s important to notice how much better steel will be protected in desalinated water systems when this form of inhibitor is used.

Keywords: carbon steel, natural honey, fenugreek (Trigonella foenum gracum), corrosion inhibition, desalinated water

Int. J. Corros. Scale Inhib., 2026, 15, no. 1, 320-337
doi: 10.17675/2305-6894-2026-15-1-16

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