The anodic corrosion current resulting from the colonization of carbon steel and nickel electrodes by an heterotrophic iron-oxidizing bacterium was 10.4 μA cm-2 and 0.1 μA cm-2, respectively, indicating that oxidation reactions controlled the overall corrosion. Both metals were shown to be electrochemically active in the presence of differential aeration and acidic metabolites. Accumulations of ferric hydroxide on the surface of the carbon steel resulted in an anodic current of 8.6 μA cm-2 that persisted after the colonizing microorganisms had been heat-killed.

Attempts were made to measure the electrochemical impact of an autotrophic iron-oxidizing bacterium on the corrosion of stainless and carbon steels in the presence and absence of added soluble Fe++. Under the experimental conditions described, it was impossible to demonstrate microbiologically induced corrosion with these microorganism/substrata combinations.

Subject
Electrochemical cells, Corrosion currents, Iron, Metals, Bacteria, Oxygen, Carbon steel, Nickel, Electrodes, Microorganisms, Electrolytes, Concentration cells, Oxidation
© 1986 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1986
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
You do not currently have access to this content.