Microbiologically influenced corrosion of marine steels within the interaction between steel and biofilms: a brief view

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology Vol. 104; no. 2; pp. 515 - 525
• Main Authors: Ma, Yan, Zhang, Yimeng, Zhang, Ruiyong, Guan, Fang, Hou, Baorong, Duan, Jizhou
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.01.2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Accidents; Bacterial corrosion; Biofilms; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Chemical composition; Community composition; Composition; Corrosion; Corrosion products; Ecological adaptation; Economic impact; Environmental engineering; Life Sciences; Marine corrosion; Marine engineering; Marine environment; Marine microorganisms; Marine resources; Microbial activity; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Mini-Review; Minimum inhibitory concentration; Steel; Substrates; Underwater equipment; China; Microbiologically influenced corrosion; Biofilms; Marine; Biocorrosion; Corrosive mechanisms; Steel corrosion
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-10184-8

Marine is the harshest corrosive environment where almost all marine underwater equipment and facilities undergo corrosion caused by marine microorganisms. With the development of marine resources globally, the marine engineering and relevant infrastructures have increased exponentially. Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) leads to severe safety accidents and great economic losses. The specific aggregation of corrosive microbial communities and their interactions with materials conform to a typical ecological adaptation mechanism. On the one hand, corrosive biofilms in the marine environment selectively colonize on a specific steel substrate by utilizing their complex community composition and various extracellular polymeric substances; on the other hand, the elemental composition and surface microstructure of different engineering steels affect the microbial community and corrosive process. MIC in the marine environment is a dynamic process evolving with the formation of corrosive biofilms and corrosion products. In this mini-review, the interactions between corrosive biofilm and steel substrates are explored and discussed, especially those conducted in situ in the marine environment. Herein, the important role of iron in the dynamic process of marine corrosion is highlighted.