Abstract
It is increasingly apparent that marine biofilms play an important role in the extended lifetimes of ships, platforms and other offshore structures. The marine science and technology directorate in Brussels has initiated a collaboration between six research centres to examine the effects of biofilms which develop on high performance stainless steel alloys including UR SB8, SAF 2507 and 654SMO in the seas immediately surrounding the western European coastline. The exposure centres are located at Genova in the Mediterranean, Brest and Cherbourg in the eastern Atlantic, Kristineberg and Trondheim in the North sea. Recovery of biofilms at these sites have revealed a extremely complex relationship between the microfauna and their metal/biofilm interface. Open circuit potential measurements however, demonstrated a consistent tendency towards noble potentials around + 350 mV/SCE associated with the biofilm. Mediterranean biofilms appear to be consistently heavier than observed at the more northern sites. Stainless steels with intact passive films appear to behave similarly with respect to their biofilm interaction. A strong correlation between season and the cathodic reaction at the stainless steel surface was observed.
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