51313-02543-Investigation of MIC Using a Dual Cell Electrochemical Testing System

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Product Number: 51313-02543-SG

ISBN: 02543 2013 CP

Author: Zhongquan Zhou

Publication Date: 2013

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Biogas generated through the anaerobic digestion of a variety of biomass sources is one of the fastest growing renewable fuels. However based upon its source (dairy waste landfill wastewater sludge agriculture waster etc) biogas can contain constituents that may affect pipeline integrity and system operations that could possibly impede pipeline safety. One such known constituent are prokaryotes associated with microbiologically-induced corrosion (MIC) in produced biogas and biomethane (cleaned biogas) carried over from the anaerobic digestion process.

MIC is promoted by the presence or activities of microorganisms including bacteria and archaea. The specific mechanism of microbial corrosion is associated with the type of microbe or the synergistic microbial communities normally present in a natural environment. One general MIC mechanism considers corrosion of localized areas under the influence of microbial activity is due to that area being more anodic than the surrounding area that has not been colonized by microbes. However this mechanism is difficult to validate because of extreme experimental challenges in conducting electrochemical testing through two bridged cells one of which contains bacteria and the other remains sterile.

In this study GTI developed a dual cell electrochemical testing system to investigate MIC mechanism and corrosion growth rate under anaerobic bacteria growth. This test system consists of two test cells which are electrolytically connected through a bridge containing an ion exchange membrane that can prevent bacteria migration. One of the test cells was inoculated with a bacterial consortium under investigation and the other cell remained free of microbial growth during the test. The results from this study indicate that this test system is successful to generate an environment for investigating MIC mechanism and collecting corrosion growth rate data for MIC model development.