Premium
Corrosion behavior of SRB Desulfobulbus propionicus isolated from an Indian petroleum refinery on mild steel
Author(s) -
Anandkumar B.,
George R. P.,
Maruthamuthu S.,
Palaniswamy N.,
Dayal R. K.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
materials and corrosion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.487
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1521-4176
pISSN - 0947-5117
DOI - 10.1002/maco.201005883
Subject(s) - refinery , corrosion , sulfate reducing bacteria , chloride , sulfate , metallurgy , oil refinery , propionate , petroleum , electrochemistry , chemistry , environmental chemistry , pulp and paper industry , environmental science , waste management , materials science , electrode , environmental engineering , biochemistry , organic chemistry , engineering
In this study, Desulfobulbus propionicus ( D. propionicus ), a sulfate reducing bacterium (SRB) was isolated and identified in cooling towers by molecular biologic techniques. This bacterial species has been reported for the first time in the cooling towers of an Indian petroleum refinery. Corrosion behaviors were analyzed by electrochemical and weight loss methods. The high corrosion rate and the enhancement of anodic current in increased chloride environment was noticed in the presence of D. propionicus indicating that this SRB species enhances the pitting corrosion of mild steel. Propionate metabolism in H 2 S production is discussed as a new pathway of corrosion enhancement.