Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion In Geothermal Fields In Mexico

The inductive effect of anaerobic bacteria in the corrosion of carbon steel components in the cooling system of Cerro Prieto Geothermoelectric Power Plant has been studied in this work. The bacteria isolated from the cooling water were Desulfuromonas acetoxidians and Desulfobacter latus which also showed halophilic and thermophilic properties. Other bacterial species were identified (Desulfovibrio sp., Pseudomonas sp., Thiobacillus, algae and Rhizopus), but only the bacteria mentioned above were used for the corrosion studies due to their capability of growth in anaerobic and high temperature (>70 degrees C) conditions. Biodeterioration of non-metallic materials like reinforced fiber glass and wood was observed and some pictures of this problem are shown in order to illustrate it. The techniques of isolation and identification of bacteria are described in this article. The behavior of the inductive effect of bacteria in carbon steel corrosion was studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).