There has been a large number of research papers published on the microbiologically influenced
corrosion (MIC) of carbon and stainless steels in which the association between the presence of
various microbes and drastically increased corrosion rates have been demonstrated. MIC attack has
been observed in a wide variety of situations including the bilges, piping and tanks of maritime vessels.
This paper will present results of recent tests carried out on bilge waters from Australian naval vessels
to investigate the potential for MIC in these waters. The work undertaken has included the use of test
kits to identify the presence of MIC related bacteria in bilge waters and the use of sampled bilge water
in laboratory corrosion tests (including SEM/EDS, weight loss, and pit depth measurements) on a range
of steel compositions.
Keywords: MIC, microbiologically influenced corrosion, bilge water, sulfate-reducing bacteria, maritime
vessels, stainless steel, ship steel