Mitigation of Desulfovibrio ferrophilus IS5 degradation of X80 carbon steel mechanical properties using a green biocide

Most microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) studies focus on the threat of pinhole leaks caused by MIC pitting. However, microbes can also lead to structural failures. Tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate (THPS) biocide mitigated the microbial degradation of mechanical properties of X80 steel pipeline by Desulfovibrio ferrophilus (IS5 strain), a very corrosive sulfate reducing bacterium. It was found that 100 ppm (w/w) THPS added to the enriched artificial seawater (EASW) culture medium before incubation resulted in 2.8-log reduction in sessile cell count after a 7-d incubation at 28 °C under anaerobic conditions, leading to 94% uniform corrosion rate reduction (from 1.3 to 0.07 mm/a), and 84% pitting corrosion rate reduction (from 0.70 to 0.11 mm/a). The X80 dogbone coupon incubated with 100 ppm THPS for 7 d suffered 3% loss in ultimate tensile strain and 0% loss in ultimate tensile strength compared with the abiotic control in EASW. In comparison, the no-treatment X80 dogbone coupon suffered losses of 13% in ultimate tensile strain and 6% in ultimate tensile stress, demonstrating very good THPS efficacy.