Sulfate-reducing Bacteria Corrosion Research Articles

Enhanced the SRB corrosion resistance of 316L stainless steel via adjusting the addition of Cu and Ce elements

316L stainless steel (SS) is the key raw material for the preparation of high-performance oil and gas pipelines, but even 316L with excellent properties will be attacked by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) corrosion. Excellent antibacterial effects have been obtained in other SS systems by doping antibacterial elements. However, the current research on the preparation of antibacterial 316L SS is not comprehensive, and the quantitative analysis of the antibacterial mechanism and doping elements is still unclear. In this paper, the SS with Cu and Ce added were prepared by vacuum induction melting. Then the homogenization treatment combined with hot rolling was used to improve the structure segregation and mechanical properties. Further, the weight loss tests and electrochemical tests were conducted to evaluate the corrosion resistance of SS, the corrosion products and morphology were analysed, and the deformation structure was characterized to clarify the corrosion mechanism of the modified SS and quantify the doping elements. The results indicate that the microstructure after homogenization is mainly austenite, and with the increase of Ce content, the Ce-rich phase segregates. The inhibitory effect of Cu on SRB can be explained by the destructive effect of Cu ions on cell membranes. On this basis, adding a low content of Ce element can increase the permeability of the SRB cell wall and further enhance the attack effect of Cu ions on the cell membrane. The corrosion behavior of alloys shows the deformation structure dependence, with crystal defects and segregation increasing the corrosion rate. The optimal addition amount of Ce is 0.18 wt%, and the strength and elongation of SS are 511.18 MPa and 108.2%, respectively.

Antibacterial and anticorrosion effects of Cetylpyridinium Chloride against Desulfovibrio desulfuricans biofilm and X80 steel corrosion

In this work, corrosion inhibition of X80 steel caused by Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC) in the presence of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) was studied. The results showed that SRB accelerated the steel corrosion, whereas CPC had a good antibacterial activity against SRB corrosion. The growth of SRB was significantly inhibited with CPC concentration 10 mg L–1. The addition of 80 mg L–1 reduced the corrosion rate by 80 % in the presence of SRB. Molecular dynamics simulation and adsorption isotherm calculation showed that CPC can be adsorbed on the steel surface to form a protective film to protect steel form corrosion.

Desulfovibrio desulfuricans induced corrosion of welded joint in X80 pipeline steel below delaminated coating

Buried pipelines are an important tool for long-distance oil and gas transportation. Welded joints are the weak components of buried pipelines. Interestingly, the biocorrosion degree of the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the welded joint is the lowest in mediums. However, there is no report on the biocorrosion of the welded joints when the protective coating is delaminated. In this paper, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) corrosion of X80 steel welded joint was studied below delaminated coating. Results showed that SRB corrosion of the welded joint was selective at the opening of the delaminated coating, and such selected SRB corrosion gradually faded along the direction from the opening to the far end. At the far end below the delaminated coating, the corrosion of the welded joint was related more to its microstructural characteristics rather than to the SRB metabolism process. The concentration decrease of the SRB cells was responsible for the gradual decrease of the SRB corrosion of the welded joint below the delaminated coating.

Magnetic field-assisted microbial corrosion construction iron sulfides incorporated nickel-iron hydroxide towards efficient oxygen evolution

Nickel iron (hydroxyl) hydroxide with unique layered structure and controllable composition is widely regarded as typical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts. Recently, developing top-down approaches to realize the facile preparation of transition metal hydroxide catalyst has received wide attention. Based on the natural microorganism corrosion behavior, this work demonstrates the external magnetic field-assisted microbial corrosion strategy to construct advanced transition metal hydroxide OER catalyst, and the prepared biofilm electrode presents superior OER performance in the existence of magnetic field, which needs an overpotential of 287 ​mV at 100 ​mA ​cm−2. Experimental and theoretical calculations show the applied magnetic field can accelerate sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) corrosion and chemical corrosion. The additional magnetic field can promote SRB corrosion to produce FeS, which can facilitate the optimization of O intermediate desorption from the NiOOH catalyst during OER process, reducing the reaction energy barrier for O→OOH. The synergistic effect between the nickel-iron oxyhydroxides originated from the accelerated chemical corrosion and FeS produced from the accelerated SRB corrosion interprets the improved OER activity. This work explores the influence of magnetic field on the construction of advanced OER materials, which can provide an effective magnetic field-assisted corrosion engineering strategy, and promote the development of multidisciplinary fields of physics, biology, and emerging energy conversion technologies.

Corrosion behavior and mechanism of N80 steel caused by sulfate reducing bacteria in CO2-saturated shale gas field produced water at 60 ℃

The corrosion of steel caused by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in shale gas environment is one of the big factors leading to the severe failure of pipeline steel. However, the related studies of SRB corrosion especially at a high temperature are still poor. This paper aims to investigate the effects of SRB on the corrosion behavior of N80 steel in CO2-saturated simulated shale gas produced water at 60 °C by weight loss, 3D microscope,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization curves and so on. Results showed that the corrosion rate of N80 steel in the presence of SRB was greater than that of the abiotic control specimen. SRB cells and the inhibitive organics could have a competitive adsorption on the steel surface. The adsorption of inhibitive organics on steel in the abiotic condition caused a slight corrosion of the control specimen. While the adsorption of SRB cells as well as the subsequent formation of biofilm have accelerated the localized corrosion of specimen. Therefore, steel corrosion is accelerated in the presence of SRB at a high temperature.

Study on the evolution process of corrosion behavior under the sulfate reducing bacteria biofilm in shale gas gathering pipelines

Pipeline corrosion induced by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is particularly severe during the hydraulic fracturing technology in shale gas exploitation. To investigate the evolution of corrosion beneath the SRB biofilms, 49-day corrosion experiments were performed with and without SRB. The weight loss experiment demonstrated that the corrosion in the Blank group was mitigated by the corrosion product film. In contrast, the SRB group exhibited an initial inhibitory phase followed by an exacerbation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed stratification in the Blank group, whereas SRB initially formed colonies and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), eventually the biofilm evolved into a mixed layer with the corrosion product. 3D microscopy showed a relatively flat surface in the Blank group. Conversely, corrosion pits beneath SRB biofilm were circular and could reach a depth of 29.77 μm, significantly greater than in the Blank group. Over time, SRB-induced pits deepened from the edges to the center and widened to approximately 740 μm, accompanied by an increase in quantity. Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses detected the presence of elements P, S, and FeS in the SRB group, serving as important indicators of SRB corrosion. Electrochemical experiments revealed significantly higher corrosion currents in the SRB group. The evolution of SRB corrosion consisted of three phases: initial, intermediate, and starvation phases. During the starvation phase, localized corrosion proved to be the most severe, with a corrosion rate of 1.28 mm/a. Therefore, the study of SRB-induced corrosion should be prioritized to study the localization phenomena.

Corrosion inhibition study of marine Streptomyces against sulfate-reducing bacteria in oilfield produced water

A marine Streptomyces sp., which has an inhibitory effect on sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), was selected to study inhibitory effect and mechanism of X65 steel on SRB corrosion in oilfield produced water. Streptomyces and SRB had a competitive growth relationship. The Streptomyces metabolites affected the number and activity of SRB and had good corrosion inhibiting properties. The formation and development of SRB biofilm was inhibited. Mixed bacteria inhibited anodic dissolution of X65 steel and slowed down the electrochemical reaction rate. The film layer on the sample was denser, and the average and localized corrosion rates caused by SRB were significantly suppressed.

Accelerated role of exogenous riboflavin in selective Desulfovibrio desulfuricans corrosion of pipeline welded joints

Effect of exogenous riboflavin on sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) corrosion of a spirally welded joint (WJ) of X80 steel was investigated by SEM/EDS, XPS, 3D ultra-depth microscopy and electrochemical measurements. The main style of SRB corrosion of the WJ is local corrosion. The local corrosion sensitivity of the heating affected zone (HAZ) of the WJ was always lower than that of the weld zone (WZ) and base metal (BM) in all the SRB-inoculated mediums. SRB corrosion of the WJ is selective. With the dosage increase of riboflavin, the selective pitting corrosion of the WJ becomes more pronounced.

Inhibition Effect of Pseudomonas stutzeri on the Corrosion of X70 Pipeline Steel Caused by Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is a common phenomenon in water treatment, shipping, construction, marine and other industries. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) often lead to MIC. In this paper, a strain of Pseudomonas stutzeri (P. stutzeri) with the ability to inhibit SRB corrosion is isolated from the soil through enrichment culture. P. stutzeri is a short, rod-shaped, white and transparent colony with denitrification ability. Our 16SrDNA sequencing results verify the properties of P. stutzeri strains. The growth conditions of P. stutzeri bacteria and SRB are similar, and the optimal culture conditions are about 30 °C, pH 7, and the stable stage is reached in about seven days. The bacteria can coexist in the same growth environment. Using the weight loss method, electrochemical experiments and composition analysis techniques we found that P. stutzeri can inhibit the corrosion of X70 steel by SRB at 20~40 °C, pH 6~8. Furthermore, long-term tests at 3, 6 and 9 months reveal that P. stutzeri can effectively inhibit the corrosion of X70 steel caused by SRB.

Mechanistic investigations of corrosion and localized corrosion of X80 steel in seawater comprising sulfate-reducing bacteria under continuous carbon starvation

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) corrosion is one of the main reasons leading to the service failure of engineering materials in the marine environment. An understanding of SRB corrosion especially under continuous organic carbon starvation is required. In this work, SRB corrosion of X80 pipeline steel under continuous organic carbon starvation was studied using mass loss, electrochemical measurements, and surface analysis. The effects of initial SRB concentrations on steel corrosion were also studied and discussed. The results indicated that more than 99% population of SRB die after 21 d of testing in various conditions, but there are still amounts of SRB survivors. SRB survivors with continued organic carbon starvation have a better adaptive ability and accelerated steel corrosion. Both the uniform and localized corrosion rates are also proportional to the initial SRB concentration as well as SRB survivors. The localized corrosion rate and density of corrosion pits of specimen corresponding to an initial SRB count of 108 cells/mL reach bigger values of (0.693 ± 0.114) mm/y and (1.94 ± 0.39)×104 pits/cm2, respectively, which are induced by the combination of the sessile and planktonic SRB.

Understanding the corrosion of pipe steel due to the adhesion of sulfate reducing bacteria film combined with the deposit layer

In the production of shale gas, solid particles such as gravel and clay can adhere to the pipe wall surface and generate under-deposit corrosion (UDC). Meanwhile, the adhesion of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) film can further aggravate the local corrosion problem, which would easily result in the failure of pipe lines. Therefore, understanding the corrosion of the steels when SRB film and deposit layer are co-existed is of highly significance. In this work, UDC in SRB-containing shale gas flowback water was studied by means of wire beam electrode, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that SRB can adhere to bare steel to form biofilm and then corrosion occurs. For deposit-covered steel, SRB cannot directly contact the metal matrix due to the barrier effect of the artificial deposit layer, therefore no SRB corrosion was observed. Bare steel and deposit-covered steel can form a galvanic couple, where the deposit-covered steel serves as the anode and the bare steel as the cathode. However, SRB could accelerate the corrosion of bare steel and enhance the cathodic reaction, thus promoting the anodic reaction under the deposit-covered steel.

Accelerated sulfate reducing bacteria corrosion of X80 pipeline steel welded joints under organic carbon source starvation

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) corrosion of X80 steel welded joint under organic carbon source starvation was investigated in the paper. The results showed that the number of planktonic cells is much less than that of sessile cells after 720 h immersion. The number of sessile cells in the base metal (BM) in the medium with 1% carbon source is the largest. Starving SRB cells accelerated simultaneously the uniform corrosion and localized corrosion of the welded joints, and the acceleration effect on the latter was much higher than that of the former. In all mediums, the density and average depth of pits in the BM and weld zone (WZ) were much larger than those in the heat affected zone (HAZ). SRB corrosion of the welded joint was strongly selective, and organic carbon source starvation further enhanced the selectivity.

Investigation of the Corrosion Mechanism for Sulfate Reducing Bacteria (SRB) Using a Split-Chamber Zero Resistance Ammetry Technique

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is one of the most aggressive forms of corrosion leasing to infrastructure and equipment damage in various industries, including oil and gas, water systems, medical devices, marine environments, nuclear waste storage facilities, and aviation fuel systems and storage. During the last 10 year, PHMSA estimates that MIC has caused 503 internal corrosion incidents at a reported property damage of $188 million and a loss of 53,000 barrels of oil. Some common bacteria associated with MIC are sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), iron and CO2 reducing bacteria and iron and manganese oxidizing bacteria. SRB are generally considered the most aggressive group of bacteria in pipeline systems that causes MIC and pitting, especially of carbon steel in the oil and gas industry. SRB are facultative anaerobes and thrive in anoxic environments, using sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor and producing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as a metabolic byproduct. Furthermore, SRBs also can reduce both nitrate and thiosulfate and obtain their energy from organic nutrients, such as lactate.Electrochemical techniques to monitor for MIC focus on studying the electrochemical characteristics of the interface or mass transport properties of a system that are modified by the microbiological activities. Polarization sensors, such as the BIOX system or BioGeorge, use polarization based on a galvanic couple between a stainless steel electrode and a sacrificial anode. The measured galvanic current is proportional to biofilm that has grown on the electrode surface. Other electrochemical sensors use electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) or amperometry to measure biofilm thickness by comparing the electrochemical signatures of a reference channel (without bacteria) to a measurement channel (exposed to bacteria); while sensors based on electrochemical resistance use linear polarization measurements to determine the amount of biofilm on an electrode surface. Electro hydrodynamical impedance has also been used to measure the diffusion coefficient in a biofilm and correlate to biofilm growth and thickness. While these approaches can accurately predict the presence and/or thickness of a biofilm on a metal surface, they cannot determine the risk of MIC associated with biofilm formation, as the presence of a biofilm does not necessarily mean that a surface experiences MIC. Additionally, many of the techniques are destructive or require visual examination of the surface after analysis.This work presents a split-chamber zero resistance ammetry (SC-ZRA)-based approach to overcome the limitations to MIC monitoring described above and serve as a screening system to determine the risk of MIC associated with certain microorganisms or groups of microorganisms. Previous work using a split-chamber approach to assess MIC was used by Daumus for the study of stainless steel corrosion in the presence of sulfate reducing bacteria, and subsequently used by Miller et al to evaluate MIC under aerobic, Fe (III)- and nitrate-reducing conditions. In this approach, two identical electrochemical cells (chambers) are separated by an ion-transport membrane. Each chamber contains an identical electrode of the same material which are electrically connected through a zero-resistance ammeter. When one of the chambers is inoculated with microorganisms, the galvanic current between the two electrodes is measured through the zero ammeter. This configuration mimics the microbiologically induced development of localized anodic and cathodic patches on a metal surface that leads to corrosion. The flow of electrons (difference in corrosion current between the two chambers) depends solely on the microbiological activities of bacteria in one of the two chambers, so the influence of the microorganisms on MIC, as well as the extent of corrosion, can be quantified.Using the SC-ZRA technique we were able to characterize the mechanism and electrochemical signatures of SRB corrosion. Specifically, we found that in split-chamber incubations containing an electron donor, electrons flow from the inoculated to the uninoculated chambers. While the current direction could be interpreted as electron transfer such as in a microbial fuel cell, these systems deploy inert graphite electrodes. When used for MIC characterization, the SC-ZRA uses reactive carbon steel electrodes. Indeed, when positive current was detected, greater corrosion was detected on WE1, which is consistent with redox couples, as well as previous work to characterize MIC using SC-ZRA measurements. After depletion of an electron donor, SRB uses electrons from the metals surface as an electron donor reversing the flow of electrons from the uninoculated to the inoculated chamber. In future work, this technique can be used to provide a mechanistic understanding and a monitoring tool for corrosion of metals that are exposed to SRB under a variety of redox regimes.

Synergistic effects of deposits and sulfate reducing bacteria on the corrosion of carbon steel

The synergistic effects of deposits and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) on the corrosion of a carbon steel are clarified by purposely designing four groups of experiments. The weight loss combined with electrochemical measurements and the surface profiling determine quantitatively that deposits and SRB contribute synergistically ~75% and ~ 49% to uniform and localized corrosion, respectively. Based on the experimental evidence, the synergism is explained in terms of the promotion effects of SRB on under-deposit corrosion (UDC) due to unevenly distributed iron sulfides produced by SRB and the acceleration effects of deposits on SRB corrosion resulting from UDC-induced accumulation of SRB.

The inhibition of sulfate reducing bacteria adhesion and corrosion on the carbon steel surface using ZnO particles

Sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) can adhere to the internal surface of the pipelines to form a biofilm under which a serious localized corrosion could easily occur. Therefore, the reduction of the adhesion of SRB biofilm and the inhibition of SRB corrosion are highly significant for the safety of oil and gas production. In this work, two types of zinc oxide (ZnO) particles, the unmodified ZnO particles with smaller specific surface area and the modified one with a larger specific surface area, were employed to inactivate SRB in the test solution. The results show that the sterilization rates of modified ZnO particles are much higher than the unmodified ZnO particles. This can be attributed to the fact that the modified ZnO particles with larger specific surface areas result in the generation of more Zn2+ which limits the growth of SRB. As a result, the adhesion of biofilm on the specimen surface and the corrosion under the biofilm are effectively inhibited.

Effect of uniaxial elastic stress on corrosion of X80 pipeline steel in an acidic soil solution containing sulfate-reducing bacteria trapped under disbonded coating

The effect of elastic stress on corrosion of X80 steel in an acidic soil solution containing sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) trapped under a simulated disbonded coating was investigated. The SRB numbers at the coating holiday after 14 days were approximately 106 cells/mL, and they were higher than those in the simulated disbonded coating region. The stressed coupons underwent more severe SRB corrosion and pitting at the same locations under the simulated disbonded coating due to the mechanochemical effect. These results indicated that the pitting process was affected by the applied elastic stress in the X80 steel.

Early corrosion behavior of X80 pipeline steel in a simulated soil solution containing Desulfovibrio desulfuricans

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is one of the reasons leading to the service failure of pipelines buried in the soil. The effects of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) on steel corrosion without organic carbon are not clear. In this work, SRB cells were enriched in the simulated soil solution, aiming to study SRB corrosion behavior without organic carbon source using weight loss, electrochemical measurements, and surface analysis. Effects of DO on SRB corrosion were also studied. Results indicate that SRB can survive after 14 days of incubation without organic carbon source, but approximately 90% SRB have died. SRB without organic carbon source could inhibit the uniform corrosion but enhance the pitting corrosion compared with the control specimen. The corrosion rate of the control calculated from weight loss is highest with a value of (0.081 ± 0.013) mm/y. The highest localized corrosion rate of (0.306 ± 0.006) mm/y is obtained with an initial SRB count of 107 cells/mL. The presence of DO influences the steel corrosion process. Oxygen corrosion dominates for the specimens in the absence and presence of SRB with an initial count of 103 cells/mL, while SRB MIC is primary for the specimens with high SRB counts.

Under-deposit corrosion of tubing served for injection and production wells of CO2 flooding

The tubing steel served for the injection and production wells of CO2 flooding was investigated using various characterization methods. The results showed the corrosion failure of the tube was caused by the jointed action of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), CO2 and chloride ions (Cl-) during service. The corrosion product film formed on the tubing steel exhibited a bilayer structure. The outer layer was mainly composed of FeS and FeCO3, which was caused by SRB corrosion and CO2 corrosion respectively, and the inner layer was primarily iron oxide and oxyhydroxide caused by Cl- enrichment and CO2 corrosion. FeCO3 was found in both layers. Accordingly, the synergistic effect of SRB and CO2 resulted in the under-deposit corrosion, and the enrichment of Cl- accelerated the localized corrosion.

Significantly enhanced resistance to SRB corrosion via Fe-based amorphous coating designed with high dose corrosion-resistant and antibacterial elements

In nature, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are one of the predominant and most troublesome bacteria associated with microbiologically influenced corrosion. In this work, a specially-designed Fe-based amorphous coating was used to resist SRB corrosion. Results indicated that the designed coating showed superior resistance to SRB corrosion, and the icorr of the coating was about 1/12 and 1/15 of that of 304SS and X80 steel, respectively. Furthermore, the live/dead cell imaging validated good antibacterial efficacy of the Fe-based amorphous coating. Both the obstructed electron transfer and the antibacterial effect were responsible for the superior resistance to SRB corrosion of the coating.

Corrosion characteristics of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and the role of molecular biology in SRB studies: an overview

AbstractSulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), an anaerobic bacterial group, are found in many environments like freshwater, marine sediments, agricultural soil, and oil wells where sulfate is present. SRB derives energy from electron donors such as sulfate, elemental sulfur or metals, and fermenting nitrate. It is the major bacterial group involved in the microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), souring, and biofouling problems in oil-gas-producing facilities as well as transporting and storage facilities. SRB utilizes sulfate ions as an electron acceptor and produce H2S, which is an agent of corrosion, causing severe economic damages. Various theories have been proposed on the direct involvement of H2S and iron sulfides in corrosion; H2S directly attacks and causes corrosion of metals and alloys. Many reviews have been presented on the aforementioned aspects. This review specifically focused on SRB corrosion and the role of molecular biology tools in SRB corrosion studies viz. cathodic and anodic depolarization theories, corrosion characteristics of thermophilic SRB and influence of hydrogenase, temperature, and pressure in thermophilic SRB corrosion, SRB taxonomy, molecular approaches adopted in SRB taxonomical studies, sulfate and citrate metabolism analyses in completed SRB genomes, and comparative studies on SRB’s dissimilatory sulfite reductase structures.