Corrosion behavior of low-alloy steel in the presence of Desulfotomaculum sp.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of sulfate-reducing Desulfotomaculum sp. bacteria isolated from a crude oil field on the corrosion of low-alloy steel. The corrosion rate and mechanism were determined with the use of Tafel slopes, mass loss method and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The formation of the biofilm and the corrosion products on the steel surface was determined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs and energy dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS) analysis. It was observed from the Tafel plots that the corrosion potential exhibited a cathodic shift that verifies an increase in the corrosion rates. The semicircles tended to open at lower frequencies in the Nyquist plots which indicates the rupture of the protective film. The corrosion current density reached its maximum value at the 14th hour after the inoculation and decreased afterwards. This was attributed to the accumulation of corrosion products on the surface.