Influence of Microorganisms on Corrosion Induction and Protection | Chapter 03 | Advances and Trends in Biotechnology and Genetics Vol. 1
The microbial corrosion or the microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC) is defined as the deterioration of metals as a result of metabolic activities of microorganisms. MIC leads to important economical losses in many industries and services. Anaerobic Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is a serious type of MIC commonly found in the oil and gas industry sector and are responsible for most highly corrosion damages to offshore steel structures. The SRB present in the crude oil uses the sulfate as an electron acceptor generating corrosive hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as one of their products. Other types of MIC are the aerobic iron and manganese bacteria mainly responsible about the accelerated pitting attacks of stainless steel. Most MIC takes the form of pits that form below the colonies of living organic matter and mineral and the deposits of biological origin. The most affected devices by MIC are stainless and carbon steel tanks, pipelines, heat exchangers, fuel storage tanks. On the other...