Solid-state electrochemical investigation of synergistic corrosion mechanisms at biofilm and Al alloy interface: Role of nitrate reduction and passive film degradation
摘要
Aerobic bacterium Cobetia marina and facultative anaerobic bacterium Bacillus cereus, both isolated from aviation fuel, were systematically investigated for their synergistic mechanism of microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) on 7050 aluminum alloy. Comprehensive electrochemical analysis, XPS and EDS surface chemical characterization, dynamic quantification of nitrite, and corrosion morphology observation revealed that the mixed culture exhibited the strongest nitrate reduction activity, formed the densest biofilm, and achieved the highest corrosion current density. Synergistic corrosion mechanism can be summarized as follows: oxygen consumption by the aerobic bacterium creates a locally oxygen‑depleted microenvironment, which induces the facultative anaerobe to initiate denitrification; extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) induce temporary mid‑term passivation through physical blocking and diffusion barrier effects. In the later stage, biofilm detachment combined with under‑biofilm micro‑zone acidification and alkaline dissolution triggers accelerated corrosion. This study reveals the key pathway of dual‑species synergistic corrosion of aluminum alloy and provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of MIC in aviation fuel systems.