(SRB) on the Corrosion of Buried Pipe Steel in Acidic Soil Solution
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coatings Article Effect of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria (SRB) on the Corrosion of Buried Pipe Steel in Acidic Soil Solution Lijuan Chen 1,2,* , Bo Wei 1,2 and Xianghong Xu 2 1 State Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Utilization of Carbon Based Energy Resources, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China; [email protected] 2 School of Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The influence of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) on the corrosion behaviors of X80 pipeline steel was investigated in a soil environment by electrochemical techniques and surface analysis. It was found that SRB grew well in the acidic soil environment and further attached to the coupon surface, resulting in microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of the steel. The corrosion process of X80 steel was significantly affected by the SRB biofilm on the steel surface. Steel corrosion was inhibited by the highly bioactive SRB biofilm at the early stage of the experiment, while SRB can accelerate the corrosion of steel at the later stage of the experiment. The steel surface suffered severe pitting corrosion in the SRB-containing soil solution. Keywords: X80 steel; sulfate-reducing bacteria; biofilm; pitting; EIS 1. Introduction Citation: Chen, L.; Wei, B.; Xu, X. Corrosion has been acknowledged as the largest capital loss in oil/gas industries, Effect of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria leading to various environmental and economic problems and even a fatal threat [1,2]. (SRB) on the Corrosion of Buried Pipe Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) refers to material degradation that is influ- Steel in Acidic Soil Solution. Coatings enced by various microorganisms existing in soil, marine, and industrial environments, 2021, 11, 625. https://doi.org/ which is a serious threat to pipeline integrity [3]. In fact, MIC was also found in other 10.3390/coatings11060625 industrial equipment, such as heat exchangers, cooling systems, and storage tanks [4], estimated at about 20% of the annual corrosion in China [5]. Among several types of Academic Editor: Paweł Nowak microbes responsible for MIC in soils, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) have been identified as the main culprit causing progressive MIC of pipes, further leading to buried pipeline Received: 22 April 2021 failure [6,7]. Accepted: 20 May 2021 ◦ Published: 24 May 2021 SRB can survive over a wide pH range of 4.0–8.0, at temperatures of 10–40 C, and at pressures up to 507 atm, which are active and can be a threat in anaerobic environments [8]. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral Enhanced corrosion of buried pipeline steel by SRB in soil environments has been reported. with regard to jurisdictional claims in Previous research has shown that the corrosion rate of steel increased six times in the published maps and institutional affil- presence of SRB compared with that in a sterile solution [9]. Bhat et al. [10] reported that a iations. new pipeline failed due to MIC in only 8 months. Abedi et al. [11] also reported an MIC failure of X52 pipeline in Iran. They demonstrated that the SRB intensified the corrosion of the pipeline steel and the further related stress cracking corrosion (SCC) process. Generally, buried pipelines are usually protected from external corrosion by coatings and cathodic protection (CP), but MIC still happens when the coating is disbonded and the CP current is Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. shielded after a long time of service [12]. Xu et al. [13] reported that SRB corrosion is severe This article is an open access article under a disbonded coating in a neutral soil solution. Wei et al. [14] also demonstrated distributed under the terms and that the corrosion of steel was accelerated by SRB under a disbonded coating in an acidic conditions of the Creative Commons soil solution. Various mechanisms of SRB corrosion have been proposed, e.g., cathodic Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// depolarization theory (CDT) [15], corrosive metabolites theory (CMT) [16], and direct creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ electron transfer theory (DETT) [17]. It was reported that the activities of SRB enhanced 4.0/). steel corrosion [18]. During the SRB corrosion process, a biofilm layer consisting of SRB Coatings 2021, 11, 625. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11060625 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/coatings Coatings 2021, 11, 625 2 of 14 cells, water, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and corrosion products is formed on the coupon, which has an effect on the dissolution of the steel [19]. Videla et al. [20] concluded that a biofilm containing iron sulfide is the main SRB corrosion product, which can accelerate steel corrosion by cathodic depolarization through film spalling or rupture by SRB metabolic actions. Dong et al. [21] also found that SRB biofilms seriously accelerate the corrosion of steel. In addition, one study proposed that SRB can acquire energy by directly harvesting electrons from iron under starvation and severely enhance corrosion [22]. Xu and Gu [23] also reported that SRB can utilize electrons released by anodic oxidation as an electron donor under the starvation condition, and that the biofilm is more corrosive against steel. Actually, the corrosion induced by SRB is a complex process, and the mechanism of SRB corrosion is not fully understood [24]. Furthermore, various studies have been carried out in neutral soil simulation solutions. An acidic soil located in southeast China with an average pH of 3.5–6.0 is distributed in several provinces. A number of oil/gas pipelines operate in this area. It has been found that acidic soils are extremely aggressive towards various metallic materials [25,26]. Yan et al. [27] reported that Fe oxides are enriched in this type of soil, which also stimulate soil corrosion in anaerobic conditions by acting as a cathodic depolarizer. Wei et al. [28] found that the stray current is a key factor leading to severe corrosion of pipeline steel in acidic soils. Thus far, the aggressiveness of acidic soils towards steel has not been fully understood. Can SRB grow in acidic soil environments? Are biotic factors such as SRB also an important factor in accelerating the corrosion of pipeline steel in red soil? However, SRB corrosion in acid soil environments is seldom reported. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the effects of SRB on the corrosion of steel in acidic soils. In this work, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) combined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques was used to investigate the effect of SRB on the corrosion behavior of X80 steel in acidic soils. 2. Experimental 2.1. Materials and Solutions In this work, the material used was API X80 steel pipe, and its composition is given in Table1. Figure1 shows the optical microstructure of the specimen after etching with 4% nital. Pearlite and ferrite are the major constituents, where the ferritic phase appeared white in color and in non-uniform, nonpolygenic shapes, and the pearlite region appeared dark in color. The specimens with dimensions of 10 mm × 10 mm × 3 mm were embedded in epoxy resin, leaving a working area of 10 mm × 10 mm. The working surface was progressively ground using silicon carbide papers (a series of 120, 240, 400, 600, and 800 grit), followed by degreasing with acetone and dehydration in 100% ethanol. Before use, all specimens were sanitized using an ultraviolet lamp for 20 min. Table 1. Chemical composition of X80 steel (wt.%). C Mn Si P S Cr Ni Cu 0.07 1.82 0.19 0.007 0.023 0.026 0.17 0.02 Al Mo Ti Nb V N B Fe 0.028 0.23 0.012 0.056 0.002 0.004 0.0001 Bal. Coatings 2021, 11, 625 3 of 14 Coatings 2021, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 14 FigureFigure 1. 1.Optical Optical microstructure microstructure of of API API X80 X80 steel steel used used in in this this work. work. CultureCulture media media were were used used to investigateto investigate SRB SRB corrosion corrosion in most in researchmost research works. works How-. ever,However, soil environments soil environments are more are complex.more complex. Therefore, Therefore, the test the solution test solution in this studyin this was study a soil-extractedwas a soil-extracted solution solution for an acidicfor an soil acidic located soil located in Ying-Tan in Ying of Jiang-Xi-Tan of Jiang Province,-Xi Province, China. SoilsChina. were Soils taken were from taken 1.2 tofrom 1.5 1.2 m underground.to 1.5 m underground. The composition The composition of the soil isof shownthe soil in is Tableshown2. Firstly, in Table the 2. soil Firstly, and distilledthe soil waterand distilled were mixed water in were a ratio mixed of 1:1 in to a obtain ratio aof saturated 1:1 to ob- soiltain liquid. a saturated The soil soil liquids liquid were. The stirredsoil liquids for 1 hwere and stirred then kept for stationary1 h and then for kept 1 day. stationary Finally, thefor soil-extracted 1 day. Finally, solution the soil was-extracted obtained solution by filtering was theobtained supernatant by filtering with qualitative the supernatant filter paperswith q (0.22ualitativeµm). Beforefilter papers testing, (0.22 high-purity μm). Before N2 gas testing, was purged high-purity from theN2 testgas solutionwas purged for 2from h to achievethe test ansolution anaerobic for 2 condition, h to achieve and an the anaerobic gas flow wascondition, maintained and the throughout gas flow thewas test.maintained Prior to use,throughout the soil solutionthe test. wasPrior autoclaved to use, the at soil 121 solution◦C for 20 was min autoclaved and stored at at 121 4 ◦C.