Effect of biodiesel concentration on corrosion of carbon steel by serratia marcescens

Abstract

Biodiesel come into being used as an alternative source of energy as the diminishing of petroleum reserves. This fuel is typically stored in tanks that are commonly made from carbon steel, which is easily corroded by microorganisms. Recent studies have shown that bacteria aside from SRB may also be involved in corrosion. Therefore, this research was aimed to evaluate the effect of biodiesel concentration (15%, 20% and 30% v/v) mixed in diesel oil on the corrosion of carbon steel by S. marcescens that dominate biocorrosion on hydrocarbon products. In this study, the corrosion process was investigated by evaluation of biofilm morphology and composition, the rate of corrosion and the corrosion product of carbon steel which was exposed in the mixture of hydrocarbons and the presence of S. marcescens. It can be concluded that higher concentration of biodiesel in diesel oil leads to higher growth of bacteria in the biofilm and higher corrosion rate.