EN
Constituents of the ethanol extract of Sida acuta (SA) leaves were investigated by phytochemical, GC-MS and FTIR studies and its corrosion inhibition effects on mild steel was studied in 1 M HCl and 0.5 M H2SO4 solutions, using gravimetric and electrochemical methods of corrosion monitoring. The surface morphology of the mild steel surface before and after corrosion was also assessed using SEM imaging. The phytochemical, GC-MS and FTIR results revealed that SA contains carbonyl groups, aromatic rings, and double bonds that make it a prospective corrosion inhibitor for mild steel. Moreover, gravimetric results indicated that SA is an effective additive for the corrosion of mild steel at all the concentrations studied. Finally, the electrochemical results showed that SA inhibited both the anodic and cathodic half reactions by the adsorption of the extract constituents on the mild steel surface; this was further confirmed by the SEM investigations.