Microbial Testing and Evaluation of Anti-Corrosion Polymer Coatings for Engineering Applications

Abstract

Anti-Corrosion Coatings are used in a variety of oil and gas pipelines and storage tankers. While the abiotic factors have been studied extensively in literature, our focus was on the effect of the biotic degradation on the polymer coatings. Currently, most of the anti-corrosion coatings used in Pakistan are imported and carry a heavy price tag. Our work will serve as forming a comparison with future research at SCME to use the in house facilities to produce anti-corrosion coatings for use by our oil and gas companies. Numerous methods of corrosion mitigation are currently being. Sacrificial Protection and Cathodic Protection for pipelines are employed where the metallic pipes are directly exposed while Bitumen & Tar coatings, mill applied tape systems[1], fusion bonded epoxy coatings and various other types of polymer coatings for covering the steel pipes. Their method of prevention and thus failure are different. This project aimed to study the effects of fungi and bacteria on the degradation of the polymer coatings. The effects on the functional groups on the surface, hydrophobicity, crystallinity, surface topography, mechanical properties and thermal properties were studied. Final results showed drastic changes in the mechanical properties, surface morphology, hydrophobicity and functional groups[2] on the surface. These results are crucial since most of the degradation occurred only on a minute thickness on the surface of the coatings and yet had such a dominant effect on the coating properties. A degree of difference in the degradation of polymers with fungi was seen in comparison with bacteria.