Biofilm sensor for deep sea

Abstract

In natural seawater, surfaces will be rapidly covered by microorganisms which form a thin film called biofilm. It is now generally admitted that biofilms may affect the electrochemical behavior of metals and alloys and thereby may accelerate the corrosion of the material. Biofilms formed in seawater around the World does not necessarily present the same aggressiveness in terms of corrosion risk, and recently some high alloy stainless steel corrosion failures were attributed to the particular aggressiveness of biofilms which form in tropical seawaters. In deep sea, the biofilm activity as well as the corrosion risk induced by these phenomena has to be assessed. The objective of the present study was to develop an autonomous sensor able to characterize seawater biofilms through their electrochemical effects on stainless steel surface. The sensor is able to in-situ detect the potential ennoblement and to quantify the cathodic reduction efficiency of biofilmed stainless steel, which is a major parameter to quantify the risk of corrosion propagation on these alloys, as well as the bacterial presence and activity. This sensor will be able to be deployed down to 3000 m depth for long term measurements.