Monitoring of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion

The aim of the project is to develop a method of corrosion monitoring for hydro carbon distribution systems leading to an improvement of corrosion prevention in these systems. The assessment of efficiency of a given corrosion prevention method is based on a reliable corrosion monitoring, but traditionally monitoring methods have failed in this system. The method will be based on techniques determined from basic studies of corrosion mechanisms occuring under microbial influence.
Electrochemical methods for corrosion measurements on steel with an iron sulphide layer and in sulphide containing environment will be studied. Function and reliability of several methods will be evaluated with respect to use as a practical monitoring method.
The corrosion mechanisms for microbial influenced corrosion on steel by sulphate reducing bacteria will be studied in relation to environmental parameters, abillty to accellerate corrosion in environments containing bacteria and hydrogen sulphide. Differences in corrosivity between inorganic and biological produced hydrogen suphide environments will also be analysed.
Corrosion mechanisms and monitoring are treated in parallel in an attempt to evaluate the monitoring method from a mechanistic point of view.
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, linear polarisation resistance, stepwise polarisation and electrical resistance measurements will be of primary interest in the work.