The Effect of CeO2 Doping on the Prevention of the Corrosion of Montmorillonite on Mild Steel in Hydrochloric Acid Solution

This study examined the ability of a coating made from nano-CeO2-doped montmorillonite (NCM) nanoclay to inhibit corrosion on carbon steel when immersed in a 1 M HCl solution. The coating was produced by combining CeO2 nanoparticles with montmorillonite nanoclay, and its characteristics were analyzed using SEM and XRD techniques. The corrosion inhibition effects were assessed through weight loss and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) methods. The findings indicated that the NCM nanoclay serves as an effective inhibitor, exhibiting a mixed-type behavior that impedes both the anodic and cathodic reactions on the steel surface in an acidic environment. The investigation demonstrated that the NCM coating achieved remarkable inhibition efficiencies of 95% (using the weight loss method) and 99% (using the PDP method) in the acidic solution. SEM was utilized to capture images of the surface at various phases of the corrosion inhibition process for mild steel. XRD was employed to analyze the structural properties of the coating’s nanoparticles. This modified and eco-friendly NCM nanoclay has enhanced the corrosion resistance of mild steel in acidic environments.