A review of fungal influenced corrosion of metals

Abstract

The growth of fungi on the surface of metals has great influence on their structural integrity and failure. Their growth on metal surfaces is determined by their secreted metabolites which enable them to adapt to new environmental and nourishment conditions. Although information on the capacity of fungi to adapt to metal surfaces is scarce, most fungi growing on metal surfaces alter the composition of the metals involving it in the process of functional growth and metabolism. Changes in the composition and colour of the metals are some of the evidences confirming that fungus has penetrated the metal surfaces and use it to satisfy its nutritional need with resultant corrosion. In this work we tried to explain different mechanisms of fungal influenced corrosion from different perspectives ranging from the role of biofilms, corrosive media generation by fungal metabolism processes to electrochemical processes generated by fungal growth on metal surfaces. Finally, no single mechanism can conclusively explain all forms of fungal influenced corrosion because every mechanism is unique and applies to individual fungus, its metabolic biproducts or the growth pattern.