Mitigation of environmental expense microbial induced corrosion using novel synthesized Schiff base cationic surfactants

Abstract

Background Sulfate reducing bacteria are considered as the major cause of microbial induced corrosion. It contributes to a lot of environmental and other major expense industrial problems in petroleum industry. Thus, there is always a great need for producing new efficient biocides and biocorrosion inhibitors.

Results In this work, three Schiff base surfactants coded (Q12, Q14 and Q18) were synthesized and characterized using FT‐IR and 1H‐NMR techniques. Mixed culture of SRB was collected from an oil field production tank located in North Bahrya Petroleum Company (NORPETCO), Egypt. The antimicrobial effect of the new synthesized surfactants was studied against the sessile and planktonic SRB along its different growth phases by different methods; viable cell count via most probable number method, estimation of biogenic sulfide concentrations, weight loss of iron coupons in microbial growth medium and biofilm examination on coupon surfaces using scanning electron microscope. The synthesized surfactants expressed a high inhibition effect on the bacterial growth, recording a minimum inhibitory concentration of 750 mg L‐1 for Q18 and 1000 mg L‐1 for both Q12 and Q14, with a considerable decline in the biogenic sulfide productivity from dose of 500 mg L‐1 until the complete suppression at a dose of 1000 mg L‐1. Also the synthesized surfactants showed sufficient metal corrosion inhibition at a concentration of 500 mg L‐1.

Conclusions Schiff base cationic surfactants with long hydrophobic chains are recommendable biocorrosion inhibitors for industrial application in petroleum sector