Accelerated microbiologically influenced corrosion of copper by sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfovibrio

Abstract

The corrosion behavior and electrochemical damage mechanisms induced by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) on copper (Cu) were investigated in this study. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that SRB accelerated the corrosion of Cu, albeit with a mitigating effect observed due to the formation of a protective and dense biofilm. However, upon the rupture of this protective film, the corrosion tendency of Cu significantly increased. Surface analysis corroborated these findings, with the predominant corrosion product identified as Cu2S, a result further supported by thermodynamic calculations. The accelerated corrosion of Cu was primarily attributed to the physiological metabolism of SRB, which generates hydrogen sulfide as the principal agent driving corrosion processes.