Microbiologically influenced corrosion of steel during putrefaction of seawater: Evidence for a new mechanism

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Corrosion (Houston); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.5006/1.3299204· OSTI ID:6463572

Eashwar, M ^[1]; Chandrasekaran, P; Subramanian, G ^[2]; Balakrishnan, K ^[3]

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1. Offshore Platform and Marine Electrochemistry Center, Tuticorin (India)
2. Corrosion Research Center, Mandapam Camp (India)
3. Central Electrochemical Research Inst., Karikudi (India)

The influence of putrid seawater on the performance of mild steel has been investigated in laboratory tests with decomposing Ulva lactuca. During a 30-day period, the corrosion of steel was considerably enhanced by increased rates of putrefaction. However, accelerated rates of corrosion in the presence of large amounts of decomposing organisms were limited to the initial stages prior to oxygen depletion and rapid sulfide production. Evidence for microbiological oxidation of sulfur in algal proteins is presented, and this process appears to have a significant effect on pH. Acidification of seawater by thiobacilli and the coexistence of oxygen and sulfide are two important phenomena involved in corrosion enhancement contrary to the prevalent thought emphasizing anaerobic corrosion. Implications of the present findings to natural systems are considered.

• OSTI ID: 6463572
• Journal Information: Corrosion (Houston); (United States), Vol. 49:2; ISSN 0010-9312
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
STEELS
BIOLOGICAL FOULING
CORROSION
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
DECOMPOSITION
PH VALUE
SEAWATER
SEAWEEDS
SULFIDES
SULFUR-OXIDIZING BACTERIA
ALLOYS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BACTERIA
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
FOULING
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
KINETICS
MICROORGANISMS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
REACTION KINETICS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
WATER
360105* - Metals & Alloys- Corrosion & Erosion