Effect of sulphate-reducing bacteria on the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy characteristics of 1Cr18Ni9Ti

The electrochemical characteristics of 1Cr18Ni9Ti in sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) solutions and the biofilm of SRB on the surface of the 1Cr18Ni9Ti electrode were studied by electrochemical, microbiological, and surface analysis methods. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of 1Cr18Ni9Ti was measured in the solutions with and without SRB at the culture time of 2, 4, 8 d, respectively. The measurement used two test methods, the nonimmersion electrode method and the immersion electrode method. It was found that the polarization resistance (Rp) of 1Cr18Ni9Ti in the solutions without SRB is the greatest for each test method. When using the nonimmersion electrode method, Rp shifts negatively at first and then positively, and the time constant is only one. Although using the immersion electrode method, the Rp shifts positively at first and then negatively, and the time constant also changes when the biofilm forms. The biofilm observed through SEM is with pores. It was demonstrated that SRB has accelerated corrosion action on 1Cr18Ni9Ti. The protection effect of the biofilm on the electrode depends on the compact degree of the film.