An inhibitory prospect of leaf extracts of flossflower and yam for rebar steel corrosion in concrete aggregates

Concrete infrastructures with embedded mild steel (EMS) have been implemented in various construction sectors to enhance their strength and durability. However, deleterious corrosion of the EMS in CA is a burdensome problem worldwide. Therefore, timely application of appropriate corrosion control techniques can mitigate the consequential effects of premature corrosion of such EMS in CA. Green plant-based leaf extracts have been recently utilized as anti-corrosive agents to prevent premature EMS corrosion. The present work focused on exploring the inhibitory impacts of leaf extracts of floss flower or Ageratum houstonianum (AgHE) and yam or Dioscorea alata (DiAE) each for controlling the rusting of the EMS in concrete beam (CB). The DiAE and AgHE comprise secondary metabolites like phenols, alkaloids, saponins, steroids, tannins, and flavonoids, confirmed from screening, GC-MS, and FTIR analysis. The EMS in CB with 1000-4000 ppm DiAE or AgHE showed a better corrosion inhibiting effect, compared with a concentration of 500 ppm from the observation of electrochemical corrosion potential (ECoP) value, measured using half-cell potential (HCP) method according to the ASTM C876-91 standard. The recent outcomes could be a part of an innovative solution to extend the lifespan of EMS in CB.