Synthesis and characterization of selenium-polyvinyl alcohol nanoparticles as eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in 1.0 M H2SO4.

[Display omitted] • Selenium nanoparticles are eco-friendly materials. • PVA-capped selenium nanoparticles (Se-PVA NPs) are stable and can be easily synthesized. • Se-PVA NPs are investigated as carbon steel corrosion inhibitor. • Se-PVA NPs behave as a mixed-type and efficient carbon steel corrosion inhibitor. • Se-PVA NPs are adsorbed on the metal surface and form a protective layer that insulates the surface from the aggressive acidic medium. Selenium nanoparticles capped with polyvinyl alcohol (Se-PVA NPs) have been synthesized by chemical reduction using ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using XRD, DLS, zeta potential, FT-IR, and TEM analysis and found to be stable. The solution of Se-PVA NPs was used as a carbon steel corrosion inhibitor in 1.0 M H 2 SO 4. The effect of the presence of Se-PVA NPs in the corrosion medium was studied by potentiodynamic polarization and gravimetric analyses In the presence of Se-PVA NPs with a concentration of 600 ppm at 303 K, corrosion inhibition efficiency values of 92.86 % and 92.3 % were recorded by potentiodynamic polarization and gravimetric analysis methods, respectively. Over the Se-PVA NPs concentration range 100–600 ppm, it was found that increasing the concentration increases the inhibition efficiency, while the temperature has an adverse effect, inhibition efficiency values of 80.0 % was recorded at 323 K for the 600 ppm Se-PVA NPs solution. The potentiodynamic polarization measurements suggested that Se-PVA NPs work as a mixed-type inhibitor. The corrosion inhibition process was confirmed by testing the used specimens' metal surface using SEM and AFM techniques, which showed that the acidic medium's negative impact (distortion and roughness) on the carbon steel surface was reduced significantly in the presence of Se-PVA NPs. The inhibitor's adsorption on the metal surface was studied. It obeys the Langmuir isotherm with a mixed-type adsorption process. The related kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]