Inhibiting mild steel corrosion from sulfate-reducing bacteria using antimicrobial-producing biofilms in Three-Mile-Island process water

Biofilms were used to produce gramicidin S (a cyclic decapeptide) to inhibit corrosion-causing, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). In laboratory studies these biofilms protected mild steel 1010 continuously from corrosion in the aggressive, cooling service water of the AmerGen Three-Mile-Island (TMI) nuclear plant, which was augmented with reference SRB. The growth of both reference SRB (Gram-positive Desulfosporosinus orientis and Gram-negative Desulfovibrio vulgaris) was shown to be inhibited by supernatants of the gramicidin-S-producing bacteria as well as by purified gramicidin S. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and mass loss measurements showed that the protective biofilms decreased the corrosion rate of mild steel by 2- to 10-fold when challenged with the natural SRB of the TMI process water supplemented with D. orientis or D. vulgaris. The relative corrosion inhibition efficiency was 50-90% in continuous reactors, compared to a biofilm control which did not produce the antimicrobial gramicidin S. Scanning electron microscope and reactor images also revealed that SRB attack was thwarted by protective biofilms that secrete gramicidin S. A consortium of beneficial bacteria (GGPST consortium, producing gramicidin S and other antimicrobials) also protected the mild steel.

Pitting corrosion inhibition of aluminum 2024 by Bacillus biofilms secreting polyaspartate or gamma-polyglutamate

Pitting corrosion of aluminum 2024 in Luria Bertani medium was reduced by the secretion of anionic peptides by engineered and natural Bacillus biofilms and was studied in continuous reactors using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Compared to sterile controls, pitting was reduced dramatically by the presence of the biofilms. The secretion of a 20 amino acid polyaspartate peptide by an engineered Bacillus subtilis WB600/pBE92-Asp biofilm slightly reduced the corrosion rate of the passive aluminum alloy at pH 6.5; however, the secretion of gamma-polyglutamate by a Bacillus licheniformis biofilm reduced the corrosion rate by 90% (compared to the B. subtilis WB600/pBE92 biofilm which did not secrete polyaspartate or gamma-polyglutamate). The corrosion potential ( E(corr)) of aluminum 2024 was increased by about 0.15-0.44 V due to the formation of B. subtilis and B. licheniformis biofilms as compared to sterile controls. The increase of E(corr) and the observed prevention of pitting indicate that the pitting potential ( E(pit)) had increased. This result and the further decrease of corrosion rates for the passive aluminum alloy suggest that the rate of the anodic metal dissolution reaction was reduced by an inhibitor produced by the biofilms. Purified gamma-polyglutamate also decreased the corrosion rates of aluminum 2024.

In vivo evaluation of a high-strength, high-ductility stainless steel for use in surgical implants

A high-strength, high-ductility, austenitic stainless steel has been evaluated for use in surgical implants by performing in vivo tests in rats, rabbits, dogs, and rhesus monkeys. This stainless steel, a TRIP (Transformation Induced Plasticity) steel containing about 4% Mo, was compared with two alloys in current clinical use: Type 316L stainless steel and cast Vitallium. Compared with the other two alloys, cast Vitallium generally had higher resistance to corrosion and superior biocompatibility in all animals. The tests in rats and dogs indicated that the corrosion resistances of the TRIP steel and the Type 316L stainless steel were similar and that the tissue reactions caused by these alloys were also similar. However, in rhesus monkeys, the TRIP steel was shown to be susceptible to stress-corrosion cracking and much more susceptible to crevice corrosion than Type 316L stainless steel. Limited tests in rabbits supported the observation that the TRIP steel is susceptible to stress-corrosion cracking. These inconsistencies in the in vivo tests underline the need for a reevaluation of the popular test techniques and of the animals commonly chosen for assessing the suitability of candidate implant materials. The "worst case" results from the rhesus monkey tests were entirely consistent with previous results obtained from in vitro studies. However, further work must be performed before the behavior of metals in humans, rhesus monkeys, or any other animal, can be predicted with confidence from an in vitro test program.