Effect of alloying element content on anaerobic microbiologically influenced corrosion sensitivity of stainless steels in enriched artificial seawater

Stainless steels (SS) are not immune to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) especially in the presence of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB). It is necessary to study the influence of alloying elements on the MIC. SRB MIC behaviors of four stainless steels (2205 SS, 316L SS, 304 SS, and 410 SS), with different alloying element compositions were compared after 14 days of incubation at 37 degrees C in enriched artificial seawater inoculated with Desulfovibrio sp. The sessile cell sequence was 410 SS > 316L SS > 304 SS > 2205 SS, inversely proportional to Cr content. The uniform corrosion rate (based on weight loss) sequence was 410 SS > 304 SS > 316L SS > 2205 SS, which matches the pitting resistance equivalent number (PREN) sequence inversely. 410 SS with the lowest Cr and Mo contents suffered the most severe pitting, with pit depth of 35 mu m and weight loss of 0.75 mg/cm2 (0.91 mm/a pitting rate and 25 mu m/a uniform corrosion rate). The other three stainless steels with higher Cr and Mo contents suffered only metastable pits. The semiconductor characteristics and the re-passivation abilities of the passive films were found to be affected by Cr and Mo contents.

Automated summary

Stainless steels are vulnerable to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) in the presence of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB). The study compared the SRB MIC behaviors of four stainless steels with different alloying element compositions. The results showed that the sequence of sessile cell formation and uniform corrosion rate was inversely proportional to the chromium (Cr) content. The stainless steel with the lowest Cr and molybdenum (Mo) contents suffered the most severe pitting corrosion.