Four austenitic and two duplex stainless steels were studied in three different paper mills. Thin aerobic biofilms were observed on the specimens. No SRB (sulphate reducing bacteria) could be detected. The alloy, AISI 304L, suffered from pitting corrosion caused by thiosulphate which was a decomposition product of sodium dithionate. Occasionally very high total chlorine concentrations were noticed in the biofilm but the chlorine was predominantly combined as organic chlorine. A high amount of chlorine can lead to an increased risk of pitting corrosion of stainless steels.

Subject
Decomposition potential, Water, Machinery, Corrosion detection, Chemical composition, Biofilms, Thiosulfate, Bacteria, Pitting, Chlorine, Immersion, Alloys, Corrosion potential
Keywords:
Microbially induced corrosion, stainless steels, welds, thiosulphate pitting, paper machine
© 1991 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).
1991
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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