Effect of sulfate-reducing bacteria on corrosion of copper and brass

The sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) corrosion of H70 brass, H80 brass and T2 copper was systematically studied using microstructure characterizations and electrochemical measurements. The results showed that H70 brass, H80 brass and T2 copper exhibited good corrosion resistance in the sterile environment, and the corrosion products were mainly metal oxides, such as Cu2O, CuO and ZnO. The SRB metabolism sharply accelerated the corrosion process of three types of copper alloys, especially the T2 copper. In the inoculated environment, an additional mixture of Cu2S, ZnS and CuSO4 existed in the corrosion products. Pitting corrosion was the main corrosion style for the H70 brass and H80 brass, while general corrosion and pitting corrosion simultaneously dominated the corrosion process of the T2 copper in this environment. The results provide a new insight to the microbiological corrosion of copper alloys.