Influence of H2S-producing chemical species in culture medium and energy source starvation on carbon steel corrosion caused by methanogens. (1st May 2017) - Tan, J.L.
Highlights: Methanogens found to only cause accelerated corrosion when deprived natural carbon/energy sources for methanogenesis. Demonstrated that several of literature cases of MIC by methanogens likely caused by the nature of the culture media. Methanogens appear to generate a redox mediator that leads to corrosion via a shuttle mechanism. Abstract: Investigations in microbiological-influenced corrosion in recent years have suggested a positive correlation in steel corrosion with methanogens. However, many cases reported in the literature were performed in medium containing Na2 S·9H2 O orl -cysteine, from which the methanogens can produce H2 S that in itself is corrosive. Here it is demonstrated that if all sources of H2 S are removed, the methanogenic strain Methanosarcina barkeri only cause accelerated corrosion when deprived of traditional energy sources for methanogenesis, such as methanol and H2 . Possible mechanisms for this phenomenon of starvation conditions triggering accelerated corrosion are discussed.