Recent advances in the study of biocorrosion: an overview

Abstract

Biocorrosion processes at metal surfaces are associated with microorganisms, or the products of their metabolic activities including enzymes, exopolymers, organic and inorganic acids, as well as volatile compounds such as ammonia or hydrogen sulfide. These can affect cathodic and/or anodic reactions, thus altering electrochemistry at the biofilm/metal interface. Various mechanisms of biocorrosion, reflecting the variety of physiological activities carried out by different types of microorganisms, are identified and recent insights into these mechanisms reviewed. Many modern investigations have centered on the microbially-influenced corrosion of ferrous and copper alloys and particular microorganisms of interest have been the sulfate-reducing bacteria and metal (especially manganese)-depositing bacteria. The importance of microbial consortia and the role of extracellular polymeric substances in biocorrosion are emphasized. The contribution to the study of biocorrosion of modern analytical techniques, such as atomic force microscopy, Auger electron, X-ray photoelectron and Mössbauer spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and microsensors, is discussed.

Thermal effects on microbial composition and microbiologically induced corrosion and mineral precipitation affecting operation of a geothermal plant in a deep saline aquifer

“…The effect of organic compounds, introduced by drilling and well completion during plant construction that enriched a specific community of fermentative bacteria was also observed for a saline aquifer in the NGB four months after plant startup (Lerm et al 2011b). The degradation of organic matter catalyzed by fermentative bacteria and SRB through co-operative metabolism is a well-known microbial process in deep subsurface when sulfate is abundant (Lovley and Chapelle 1995;Beech and Gaylarde 1999;Muyzer and Stams 2008). Despite a similar fluid temperature range of approximately 46°C, different communities of SRB and fermentative bacteria were detected in cooled fluid samples originating from the warm well and in fluid samples produced from the cold well.…”

Methods to Evaluate Corrosion in Buried Steel Structures: A Review

“…There have been cases of extremely rapid corrosion rates due to bacterial activity, and it has become increasingly evident that the clear majority of metal alloys are susceptible to this type of corrosion. Several research studies have shown that microbiological corrosion is one of the causes of failure in pipes buried in the most harmful soils [71][72][73]. It has been quantitatively established that more than 20% of the failures that occur in pipes are related to microorganisms [74,75].…”

Endüstriyel Sistemlerde Mikrobiyolojik Korozyon ve Önlenmesi

“…Mikroorganizmalar, sadece metal yüzeylerin korozyonundan değil beton, ahşap ve plastik gibi yapıların da aşınmasından sorumludur [7,8]. Özellikle uçak endüstrisinde, petrol ve gaz endüstrisinde kullanılan boru hatlarında, kimya endüstrisinde kullanılan tanklarda, gıda endüstrisinde fermantasyon ünitelerinde, soğutma kulelerinde ve onların ısı değiştiricilerinde, atık arıtım tesislerinde, ilaç ve kağıt endüstrisinde, lağım ana borularında ve enerji endüstrisindeki soğutma sistemlerinde çok büyük ekonomik kayıplara yol açarken güvenlik ve sağlığı da tehdit etmektedir [9,10]. Mikrobiyolojik korozyon, hasarın giderilmesi için sistemlerin durdurulması, depo, tank ve borularının delinmesiyle oluşan ürün kaybı ve mikroorganizmaların üretilen ürünleri karbon kaynağı olarak kullanıp ürün kalitesini düşürmesi gibi problemlere neden olmaktadır.…”