Microbiology
Biotechnology
Springer-Verlag 1987
Introduction
Coatings formed by the oxidation of iron and
steel to ferric compounds have been used for the
protection of steel against corrosion (Uhlig 1979;
Lumsden and Szklarska-Smialowska 1978), and
the removal of such films can cause the corrosion
of the metal they protect. Obuekwe et al. (1981a)
demonstrated that a Pseudomonas species isolated
from a corroding crude oil pipeline caused corrosion of mild steel by the depolarization of the
anode. Such corrosion of mild steel by the bacterium arose from the reduction of insoluble ferric
film to soluble ferrous compounds (Obuekwe et
al. 1981b). The presence of large amounts of soluble iron compounds in culture solutions is
known to increase the corrosion of mild steel
(Booth et al. 1967a), and a high content of soluble
iron compounds increases the aggressiveness of
Offprint requests to: C. O. Obuekwe
295
108
-03
-05
-0.6
//~/~/
V
i i
-0.5 "0
AnodicPolarization
i i 1.0i i I i 2_0
I i
-0.6 -'~Cathodic
-0.7
Polarization
-08
-0.9
",~N,~08
_1ol
I
0.2
0.4
Current Density (mA cm-2)
"--3
~///////~//y////////////y~
"//,~
296
initial stimulation of the anodic reaction was always followed by inhibition, regardless of
whether the organism was hydrogenase-positive
or hydrogenase-negative.
Under the conditions of simultaneous production of S 2- and Fe(II) by the bacteria, the polarization characteristics showed that the reaction at
the anode was initially stifled for up to 60 h but
was later followed by an increased anodic dissolution (anodic depolarization). This observation is
the reverse of what was observed only S 2- was
produced in the medium. A high concentration of
Fe(III) in the form of Fe3PO4 inhibited mild steel
(Obuekwe et al. 1981a), and it was not until Fe(II)
and S 2- were produced that corrosion resumed.
In the cathode, the changes in the corrosion characteristics of the mild steel coupons were similar
to what was observed in the anode, as shown by
the polarization characteristics.
High amounts of soluble iron have been reported to prevent the formation of a protective
sulphide film on ferrous metal (Booth et al.
1967a) and will also cause a high corrosion rate of
60/
-O2
24
110
j 0
12 . pt.1"
9~
-0.2
//
/ ///..-
-0.3
~ 2
//-'"
- - ~ f
~v
-0.~
-0.5 f ~ Z
Anodic Polarization
-> -0.6
-0.5 0
0.4
~- -0.6
-0.7
0.8
1.2
[afhodic Po[arizahon
-08
-0.9
-to
i
I 011 J i
i 0.2r I
f 013
-(13
SjJ Sr
-0.4
-0.3
-0,~
Anodic Polarization
-05
-0.5 7
-06 1
I
-o
Anodk Polarization
> -0.5 , I
-~
=
g -0.5
-0.5
.I 4
,I
08
1.2
~-" -Q6
-0.6
Cathodic Polarization
-0.7
-0.7
-0.8
-0.8
-0.9
~'
I
60 ~
-0.9
.O! 0
-1.0 ~
Eafhodic Potarization
- 1.0
12
I
Q2
04
Current Density (mAcm
2/+x~60
t
0.6
-2)
0/ 8
0.
0.16
024
Eurrent Density (mAcm-2)
Fig. 5. Polarization curves of mild steel coupons in uninoculated B]o medium (control) containing Na2S2Oa but not
Fe(III). The numbers 0, 12, 24, 60 and 98 denote incubation
time in hours at 25 o C. The curves with broken lines also show
the polarization curves of the mild steel at the designated periods
297
Thus, both the production of S 2 and Fe(II) simultaneously (Fig. 3) and the production of
Fe(II) alone by the bacteria (Fig. 2) were responsible for the anodic dissolution (corrosion) of the
mild steel coupons, and in the absence of production of Fe(II) and S 2- no dissolution of the anode
was observed, as shown in the controls (Figs. 4,
5).
Mild steel coupons immersed in the bacterial
cultures showing simultaneous production of
Fe(II) and S 2- showed extensive pitting corrosion
(Fig. 6a) and was covered by a loose deposit of
FeS. No such pit formation was found on control
coupons (Fig. 6b). In real life, the problems of the
Pembina pipeline system, from which the bacterium was isolated, have been associated with pitting corrosion.
In conclusion, it was observed that the corrosion of mild steel (AISI 10-18) in cultures of
Pseudomonas sp. no. 200 was sustained and led to
extensive ptting of the coupons when Fe(II) and
S 2- were produced simultaneously. In the presence of S 2- alone, the corrosion was inhibited
soon. Undoubtedly, the combined effects of destabilization of FeS film on the coupon and ca-
298
C.O. Obuekwe et al.: Bacterial corrosion during Fe(II) and S2- production
References
Booth GH, Tiller AK (1960) Polarization studies of mild steel
in cultures of sulphate-reducing bacteria. Trans Faraday
Soc 56:1689--1696
Booth GH, Elford L, Wakerley DS (1968) Corrosion of mild
steel by sulphate-reducing bacteria: an alternative mechanism. Br Corrosion J 3:242--245
Booth GH, Cooper AW, Cooper PM (1967a) Rates of microbial corrosion in continuous culture. Chem Industr
86:2084--2085
Booth GH, Cooper AW, Cooper PM (1967b) Criteria of soil
aggressiveness towards buried metals. II. Assessment of
various soils. Br Corrosion J 2:109--115
Lumsden JB, Szklarska-Smialowska Z (1978) The properties of
films formed on iron exposed to inhibitive solutions. Corrosion 34:169-- 176