Investigation of FPM as a Corrosion Inhibitor for Mild Steel in HCl Solution: Insights from Electrochemical, Weight loss and Theoretical Approaches

In this study, we investigate the efficiency of furan-2-yl-piperazin-1-yl-methanone (FPM) as a corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in HCl environment. Our study combines electrochemical techniques, weight loss measurements and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Regarding weight loss experiments, we find that a concentration of 0.5 mM of FPM provides maximum protection efficacy, reaching 91.8% at 303 K after 30 minutes of immersion and observed that the inhibition efficiency rises with increasing concentration of FPM but declines with higher temperatures. Based on the Langmuir isotherm and experimental analysis, it can be suggested that FPM can adhere to the surface of mild steel through physical and chemical interactions. Moreover, our theoretical studies reveals correlations between the structure of FPM and its effectiveness in inhibiting corrosion, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms. Experimental and theoretical results both are in agreement. Our findings underscore the potential of FPM as a corrosion inhibitor in industrial applications, offering new avenues for corrosion control techniques.