Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion: An Unexplored, Green Filed for Research and Development

摘要

Corrosion, by itself, can be regarded as a thermodynamically favourable reaction. This means that it is as natural as breathing. Being as such, corrosion can only be “controlled” and not as many, even professionals, believe, “prevented”: Metals, when in their ores, are co-existing with non-metallic compounds such as their sulphate, oxides etc. In their ores, metals are at minimum level of Gibbs free energy. That is why metals have to be “extracted” from their ores and they just do not ooze out of it. The minimum level of free energy associated makes them stay where they are. However, we have to extract metals out of their ores for our needs. Upon this, we crush them and we subject them to a series of reactions collectively referred to as “extractive metallurgy reactions”. It is during these reactions that metals are extracted out of their ores with industrially achievable high purities. It is also during these reactions (processes) that electrons are injected into metals, making them a host to extra electrons that can be otherwise called as “uninvited guests”.