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Corrosion Monitoring in Industrial Plants Using Nondestructive Testing and Electrochemical Methods
ASTM Selected Technical Papers
Corrosion Monitoring in Industrial Plants Using Nondestructive Testing and Electrochemical Methods
By
GC Moran
GC Moran
1
PSE&G Research Corporation, Research and Testing Laboratory
,
Maplewood, NJ 07040
;
symposium cochairman and editor
.
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P Labine
P Labine
2
Petrolite Corporation
,
St. Louis, MO 63119
;
symposium cochairman and editor
.
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ISBN-10:
0-8031-0471-5
ISBN:
978-0-8031-0471-6
No. of Pages:
525
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1520/STP908-EB
Publisher:
ASTM International
Publication date:
1986
eBook Chapter

Electrochemical Noise as an Indicator of Anaerobic Corrosion

By
WP Iverson
WP Iverson
1
Microbiologist and guest worker
, respectively,
National Bureau of Standards
, Room A329, Building 223,
Washington, DC 20234
.
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,
LF Heverly
LF Heverly
1
Microbiologist and guest worker
, respectively,
National Bureau of Standards
, Room A329, Building 223,
Washington, DC 20234
.
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This Site
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Doi:
https://doi.org/10.1520/STP17462S
Page Count:
13
  • Published:
    1986

Anaerobic (bacterial) corrosion is an important cause of failures of underground structures such as pipelines. Pipeline failures could be prevented if better methods for determining the presence and location of areas of bacterial corrosion existed. A technique was developed which permits the detection and recording of rapid potential fluctuations (noise) produced in a corroding metal. It is believed that this noise is mainly caused by the breaking of protective films on the metal surface. Anaerobic bacterial corrosion also produces a type of noise, probably due to the breaking of iron sulfide films.

Preliminary evidence indicates that detection and production of this noise on pipelines may offer promise in locating areas of microbial corrosion as well as other types of corrosion. Differences in the type of noise signal could enable differentiation between biological and nonbiological corrosion. Continuing studies should verify or reject these premises.

Keywords:
anaerobic corrosion, bacterial corrosion, Desulfovibrio, electrochemical noise, cathodic depolarization, iron phosphide, corrosive metabolite, iron sulfide, cathodic protection

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