Microbial Influenced Corrosion: Understanding Bioadhesion and Biofilm Formation

Abstract

Microbiologically influenced corrosion, also known as microbial or biological corrosion, is produced by particular bacteria adhering to metal in water. It is widely acknowledged to be the direct cause of catastrophic corrosion failures, with associated damage costs accounting to many billions of US$ annually. Certain activities of microbial organisms such as their adherence capabilities are known to lead to the acceleration in corrosion rates of metals. Bacterial adherence is the beginning of the process of colonisation of a surface, known as biofilm development that involves physicochemical and molecular interactions. This process of bacterial adhesion is influenced by a myriad of parameters which are broadly categorised as environment, bacterial, and material characteristics. The following article reviews the mechanisms of bacterial adhesion to biomaterial surfaces, the factors affecting this adhesion, and the techniques used in estimating microbially influenced corrosion.