Microbial Corrosion.

The studies on microbial corrosion described in the report emphasize the mechanisms of anaerobic corrosion produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria, primarily those in the genus Desulfovibrio. As a pure culture of a marine strain of Desulfovibrio had been isolated and a satisfactory plating medium, trypticase - sea water agar, for isolation and maintainance of the strain had been developed, no further investigations in this area were carried out. In previous studies, two iron phosphides, Fe2P and Fe3P were identified as products produced by Desulfovibrio in the presence of Fe ions. Further studies of an organo-phosphorus compound produced by these organisms, which appeared to be involved in the formation of iron phosphides were continued. Investigations of the corrosion rate of mild steel in the trypticase sea water medium, in the presence and absence of Fe ions, by polarization techniques, were continued. Author