Ingenieurwissenschaften und zugeordnete Tätigkeiten
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Metal reducing bacteria (MRB) are capable of utilizing different metals, such as iron, chromium, manganese or uranium as well as many organic compounds, as electron acceptors for their metabolism. Via direct and indirect electron transfer processes MRB are able to convert insoluble passive film species like Fe(III)-oxides to soluble Fe(II)-oxides and hydroxides. This weakening of the passive film not only leads to an acceleration of the general corrosion processes, but also increases the susceptibility of stainless steels to pitting corrosion. Electron transfer mechanisms are not yet fully understood and the role of bacteria in corrosion processes is controversially discussed in the literature. Moreover, recent research indicates that the secretion of electron shuttles like riboflavins by MRB also contributes to the extracellular electron transfer.
This project aims at clarifying the chemical and electrochemical interaction mechanisms of MRB with stainless steel surfaces. To investigate the changes in the oxide chemistry on the stainless steel surface in the presence of biomolecules and MRB a new flow cell has been designed and constructed which enables the collection of XANES (X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure) spectra in fluorescence mode at the Fe K-edge and electrochemical analysis. Availability of oxygen and the pre-exposure of the MRB to Fe(III) during cultivation have been investigated as parameters with significant effect on the corrosion rates. XANES analysis is supplemented by ex-situ X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (FT-IRRAS) to complete the surface characterisation in terms of the oxide chemistry and the composition of organic residues. Complementary electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (e-QCM) measurements have been performed to quantify the kinetics of bacterial attachment and biofilm formation. Together with the frequency shift, the evolution of the dissipation signal has been analyzed to investigate the changes in viscosity and structure of the biofilm from initial stages up to maturation. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has been used to study the structure and viscoelastic properties of the biofilms after e-QCM experiments.
The presentation will summarize our results on the effects of individual surface and environment related parameters on the chemical/electrochemical interaction mechanisms of MRB leading to passive film degradation on stainless steel surfaces and provide useful insights from a fundamental aspect for the development of novel mitigation strategies for microbiologically influenced corrosion.
Electrochemically active bacteria such as iron oxidizing bacteria (IOB) or iron reducing bacteria (IRB) accelerate the corrosion of stainless steel via the oxidation and reduction of iron oxides in the passive layer. The exposure to medium containing IOB and IRB leads to pitting corrosion with deep pits on stainless steel surfaces. Improving corrosion control via a better understanding of localized corrosion processes is highly relevant especially for reasons of safety or environmental protection since advancing pitting corrosion can easily lead to unpredictable material failure. Classic electrochemical methods however, provide insufficient information about the spatial heterogeneity of a corroding sample and fall short in detecting localized corrosion.
The aim of this work is to develop methods for the analysis of localized corrosion, on stainless steel surfaces induced by IRB and IOB biofilms. It is quite challenging to address the complexity of the variations in the passive layer composition and microstructure as well as the biofilm’s complexity with its local differential aeration cells and electrochemical parameters both at the same time. Thus in this study, agarose artificial biofilms mimicking the physical properties of a natural biofilm have been used as model systems to be able to differentiate between individual effects. This artificial biofilm is applied on a multi-electrode stainless steel sample to identify local anodic sites during exposure experiments. For more detailed analysis of active sites, a scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) has been applied. Using the SECM as an amperometric sensor, we have investigated concentration gradients of iron ions or oxygen within the biofilm and its immediate vicinity on actively corroding electrodes.
The presented analytical approach delivers promising results in clarifying how localized corrosion of stainless steels develops chronologically and spatially in the presence of IRBs and IOBs. Our results on model systems do also provide the basis for the investigation of natural biofilms in the future.
Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) on steel occurs where the presence and activity of microbes change the localized conditions on the surface of a metal substrate. For instance, metal reducing bacteria (MRB) are capable of utilizing metal compounds in the passive layer on stainless steel as electron acceptors during their metabolism. This weakening of the passive film not only leads to an acceleration of the general corrosion processes, but also increases the susceptibility of stainless steels to pitting corrosion. Even though the electron transfer mechanisms are not yet fully understood, recent research shows that the secretion of electron shuttles like flavins contribute significantly to the extracellular electron transfer (EET). Electron shuttle molecules like riboflavin (RB) or flavin mononucleotide (FMN) are secreted by MRB after the transition from planktonic to sessile mode and exist in the biofilm at low concentrations. Therefore, they are precise early phase indicators of bacterial settlement.
This project aims at clarifying the electrochemical interaction mechanisms of MRB with stainless steel surfaces, with a special focus on the role of the extracellular redox molecules. The analysis of corrosion processes as a function of chloride and flavin concentration have been performed by means of electrochemical methods. Due to the differences in their chemical structure, FMN and RB have shown significant differences in terms of their adsorption behavior and the stability of the formed films, which directly influences the electron transfer processes. Therefore, Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance (eQCM) studies have been performed on sputtered FeCr electrodes to investigate the adsorption/desorption kinetics of flavins.
The results of electrochemical studies are complemented by the analysis of the changes in the passive film chemistry and the chemical composition of the adsorbed films by means of Fourier Transform Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (FT-IRRAS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Changes in surface morphology have been investigated by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).The presentation will summarize our results on the degradation mechanisms of passive films on stainless steel surfaces in the presence of flavins and provide useful insights from a fundamental aspect for the understanding of the initial stages of microbiologically influenced corrosion.
The novel heat treatment concept of “Quenching and Partitioning” (Q&P) enables producing low alloyed martensitic steels with high strength and formability. Therefore austenite, retaining from a quenching temperature between Mf and Ms, is stabilised by carbon diffusion. This stabilised austenite transforms in martensite (TRIP effect) under mechanical loading. Current investigations on the Q&P heat treatment of martensitic stainless steels reveal a further enhancement of mechanical properties due to higher amounts of austenite. Thus a tensile strength of 1.800 MPa and a maximum elongation of 20 % are possible, while mechanical properties under compression are much higher due to a distinct SD effect.
The presentation aims to gain a further understanding of the Q&P heat treatment and the resulting mechanical properties for the steel X46Cr13, especially the mechanical behaviour under dynamic mechanical loading condition. Results of drop work and Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar test confirms the findings of quasi static compression test. Furthermore, Charpy impact tests show higher impact toughness compared to the common heat treatment of quenching and tempering (Q&T). Complementary investigations indicate a higher corrosion resistance of Q&P compared to Q&T.
The quenching and partitioning (Q+P) heat treatment enables a higher deformability of high strength martensitic steels. Therefore, it is necessary to have some metastable austenite in the microstructure, which transforms in martensite during plastic deformation (TRIP-effect). This condition is guaranteed by the quenching and the additional partitioning treatment. Due to local carbon diffusion retained austenite is stabilized and a partial reversion of austenite from martensite occurs. The Q+P heat treatment was investigated for the martensitic stainless steel 1.4034 (X46Cr13) concerning the influence of partitioning time. In line with these efforts metallographic, XRD- and EBSD-measurements were performed to characterize the microstructural evolution. The mechanical experiments included mechanical testing with different strain rates. The reversion of austenite by the partitioning treatment could be detected with EBSD- and XRD-measurements. Further-more the results of the mechanical testing showed improved values of strength and de-formability because of the Q+P heat treatment.