Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Lecture 34
Microorganisms In Biofouling And Biocorrosion
Keywords: Biocorrosion, Biofouling, Microorganisms
So for we have seen the beneficial aspects of microorganisms with relevance to biogenesis of
minerals, bioleaching and biobeneficiation.
Microbially-influenced corrosion (MIC) takes place in environments such as soil, fresh water
and sea water and is estimated to be responsible for more than 30 percent of all corrosion
damage. Microorganisms causing MIC are many such as sulfur-sulfide oxidizing, ironmanganese oxidizing, sulfate-reducing, acid producing, and ammonia and acetate producing
bacteria and fungi. Microbial growth under natural environmental conditions influences
electrochemical reactions directly or indirectly. Microbe-metal interactions lead to initial
adhesion and biofilm formation. [227-236]
The role of microorganisms in the deterioration and failure of materials can be categorized into
Biofouling, Biodeterioration and Microbiologically-influenced corrosion (MIC). Biofouling
refers to attachment of micro- and macro-organisms onto material surfaces in marine, fresh water
and soil environments leading to formation of fouled layers of biofilms. Deterioration of
nonmetallic materials like cement, wood, plastics and rubber due to microbial action is termed
biodeterioration. Corrosion of metals and alloys influenced by the activities of microorganisms is
defined as microbially-influenced corrosion (MIC).
1
Course Title: Metals Biotechnology
Course Co-ordinator: Prof. K. A. Natarajan, IISc Bangalore
Microorganisms are omnipresent and grow at very rapid rates in soil, water and air. They exhibit
extreme tolerance to varying environmental conditions such as acidic and alkaline pH, low and
higher temperatures as well as metal toxicity.
The industrial significance and relevance of MIC can be seen from Table 34.1. The severity of
microbial corrosion processes is evident from the fact that many of the commercially used metals
and alloys such as stainless steels, nickel and aluminium-based alloys and materials such as
concrete, asphalt and polymers are readily degraded by microorganisms. Protective coatings,
inhibitors, oils and emulsions are also subject to microbial degradation.
2
Course Title: Metals Biotechnology
Course Co-ordinator: Prof. K. A. Natarajan, IISc Bangalore
Chemical
engineering
Steels
Construction
Aviation sector
3
Course Title: Metals Biotechnology
Course Co-ordinator: Prof. K. A. Natarajan, IISc Bangalore
MIC in power plants can occur in the following operational metals and alloys
stainless steels
Water pipes
Cooling towers
Pumps
Galvanized steels
Stainless steels
4
Course Title: Metals Biotechnology
Course Co-ordinator: Prof. K. A. Natarajan, IISc Bangalore
Bacteria
oxidizing
bacteria.
and
metal
(Gallionella,
depositing
Crenothrix,
Leptothrix)
Metal reducing bacteria
(Pseudomonas, Shewanella)
Fungi
Aspergillus fumigatus
Cladosporium resinae
Paecilomyces varioti
Aspergillus niger
Penicillium cyclospium
Algae
Microbial
consortia
microorganisms
5
Course Title: Metals Biotechnology
Course Co-ordinator: Prof. K. A. Natarajan, IISc Bangalore
The sulphur cycle in nature is relevant to MIC. Sulphur and sulfide oxidising and sulphate
reducing bacteria (SRB) are involved in a number of biogenic redox reactions leading to
products such as H2S, metal sulphides and sulfoxy compounds.
Microbially - mediated
processes result in corrosion in soils and aqueous environments. For example, sulphate reducing
bacteria such as Desulfovibrio reduce sulphate to sulphide and hydrogen sulphide, under
reducing conditions.
SO=4 + 4H2 = S= + 4H2O
2H+ + S- - = H2S
Both sulphur (sulphide) oxidizing and sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) are involved in the
biological sulphur cycle in nature.
Sulphur and ferrous iron-oxidising bacteria such as Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and
Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans are aerobic acidophiles promoting oxidation of sulfur, sulfides as
well as ferrous ions.
Morphological features of some organisms relevant to MIC are given fig. 34.1:
All these bacteria are implicated in microbial corrosion processes and their growth characteristics
and metabolic reactions are important in understanding corrosion mechanisims.
6
Course Title: Metals Biotechnology
Course Co-ordinator: Prof. K. A. Natarajan, IISc Bangalore
Bacillus
Acidithiobacillus Sp
Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans
Aspergillus fungus
Desulfovibrio sp.
Fig. 34.1: Morphological features of bacteria and fungi relevant to microbial corrosion
Principal slime forming bacteria like Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Flavobacterium,
Aerobacter and Pseudomonas are present in soils.
containing hydrocarbon sources such as oils and emulsions using hydrocarbons as energy source.
Algae include single cell to multicellular species of diverse forms and shapes. They contain
coloured pigments, such as the chlorophyll, and grow on moist surfaces of cooling towers,
screens and distribution systems. Some common algae include blue-green algae, the green algae
and diatoms. They produce corrosive organic acids, and oxygen promoting metallic corrosion.
7
Course Title: Metals Biotechnology
Course Co-ordinator: Prof. K. A. Natarajan, IISc Bangalore
Fungi are akin to algae but do not contain chlorophyll. Mould fungi are filamentous; but most of
yeast fungi are unicellular. Fungi implicated in MIC include Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus
fumigatus, Penicilium cyclospium and Cladosporium resinae. Fungal generation of various
organic acids such as oxalic acid, citric acid and gluconic acid create a corrosive environment.
General mechanisms
General electrochemical reaction mechanisms hold good in MIC also.
M = M++ + 2e (anodic)
O2 +4H+ + 4e = 2H2O (acid, aerated)
O2 + 2H2O + 4e = 4OH- (neutral, aerated)
2H+ + 2e = H2 (acid in the absence of oxygen)
Direct and indirect mechanisms are involved when microorganisms participate in a corrosion
process. Microbes directly interlink an electrode reaction through their metabolism in direct
mechanism while indirect mechanisms involves indirect microbial role of generation of corrosive
environments, such as differential aeration cells, acidic reaction products and other metal
chelating solvents.
.
General mechanisms can be classified as follows:
8
Course Title: Metals Biotechnology
Course Co-ordinator: Prof. K. A. Natarajan, IISc Bangalore
phosphorous
compounds.
Organic corrosion inhibitors such as aminium compounds are used as nutrients by bacteria and
degraded. Bacteria such as Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter oxidise amines to nitrite and nitrate.
Ferric oxide coatings are degraded by Pseudomonas. Iron sulphide films on steels are degraded
by Sulphate Reducing Bacteria. Protective passive oxide layers on aluminium and its alloys are
destroyed by the fungus, C. resinae.
Bacterial attachment and biofilm formation on metals and alloys are initial events in metallic
corrosion. Microbial biofilms consist of micro and macro- organisms together with their
metabolic and chemical reaction products. Initial stages in biofilm formation may involve only
bacterial attachment. Macroorganisms subsequently attach and grow.
Scanning electron micrographs showing SRB attachment and biofilm formation on titanium
surfaces are shown fig. 34.2.
9
Course Title: Metals Biotechnology
Course Co-ordinator: Prof. K. A. Natarajan, IISc Bangalore
Fig. 34.2: Scanning electron micrographs showing SRB attachment and biofilm formation on titanium
surfaces
10
Course Title: Metals Biotechnology
Course Co-ordinator: Prof. K. A. Natarajan, IISc Bangalore