Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2pzkn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-02T16:53:36.053Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Studies on enhancement of biofilm formation and adherence due to mechanical treatment of titanium surfaces in cooling-water systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2008

R. P. George ,
J. Gopal ,
P. Muraleedharan ,
B. Anandkumar ,
R. Baskaran ,
S. Maruthamuthu  and
R. K. Dayal
R. P. George*
Affiliation:
Corrosion Science and Technology Division, IGCAR, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
J. Gopal
Affiliation:
Corrosion Science and Technology Division, IGCAR, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
P. Muraleedharan
Affiliation:
Corrosion Science and Technology Division, IGCAR, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
B. Anandkumar
Affiliation:
Corrosion Protection Division, CECRI, Karaikudi 630 006, India
R. Baskaran
Affiliation:
Materials Science Division, IGCAR, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
S. Maruthamuthu
Affiliation:
Corrosion Protection Division, CECRI, Karaikudi 630 006, India
R. K. Dayal
Affiliation:
Corrosion Science and Technology Division, IGCAR, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
*
*Corresponding author: Dr R. P. George, Corrosion Science and Technology Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 603 102, IndiaT91 44 27480121, F91 44 27480121, Erani@igcar.gov.in
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Titanium has proven to be the heat exchanger material of choice for sea-water-cooled power plants owing to its outstanding resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion in a wide range of aggressive media. However, the inertness of the titanium surface makes it highly susceptible to biofilm formation and subsequent biofouling. This can hinder the heat transfer properties and flow of water. Fouling control strategies in condensers include a combination of mechanical, chemical and thermal treatments. However, reports from various industrial situations suggest that mechanical treatment may not have long-term effects. This study aimed to find out whether mechanical cleaning eventually enhances biofilm formation and increases the adherence of biofilm. In our studies epifluorescence micrographs of biofilms on control and mechanically treated titanium surfaces clearly showed accelerated biofilm formation as well as increased adherence on the mechanically cleaned surface. Total counts of viable bacteria acquired by culturing technique, and biofilm thickness measurements made using microscopic techniques, confirmed this observation. Surface profilometry showed increased roughness of the titanium surface, facilitating adherence of biofilm. The number of microbial species was higher on mechanically cleaned and re-exposed surfaces than on fresh titanium. Thus we concluded that mechanical cleaning can increase biofilm formation and adherence of biofilm, thereby increasing the potential of biofouling in the long term.

Type
Research Article
Information
Biofilms , First View , pp. 1 - 7
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

APHA (American Public Health Assocation) (1989) Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste Water, 14th edn. Washington, DC: APHAGoogle Scholar
Altschul, S. F., Madden, T. L., Schaffer, A. A., Zhang, J., Zhang, Z., Miller, W. & Lipman, D. J. (1997) Gapped BLAST and PSI-BLAST: a new generation of Protein Database search programs. Nucleic Acids Research 25, 3389–3402CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bakke, R. & Olssen, P. Q. (1986) Biofilm thickness: measurements by light microscopy. Journal of Microbiological Methods 5, 1–6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berger, L. R. & Berger, J. A. (1986) Countermeasures to microbiofouling in simulated ocean thermal energy conversion heat exchangers with surface and deep ocean waters in Hawaii. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 51, 1186–1198CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Birch, J. R. & Burleigh, T. D. (2000) Oxides formed on titanium by polishing, etching, anodizing, or thermal oxidizing. Corrosion 56, 1233–1241CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Characklis, W. G. (1990) Biofim processes. In Biofilms, pp. 195–231. Edited by Characklis, W. G. & Marshall, K. C.. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.Google Scholar
Characklis, W. G. & Dydek, S. T. (1976) The influence of carbon:nitrogen ratio on the chlorination of microbial aggregates. Water Research 7, 515–522CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Characklis, W. G. & Marshall, K. C. (1990) Biofilms: a basis for an interdisciplinary approach. In Biofilms, pp. 3–15. Edited by Charackilis, W. G. & Marshall, K. C.. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.Google Scholar
Characklis, W. G. & Robinson, J. A. (1983) Development of a fouling control program. Final Report, Canadian Electrical Association, no. 219-G388Google Scholar
Connell, J. H. (1978) Diversity in tropical rain forests and coral reefs. Science 199, 1302–1310CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Costerton, J. W. (1984) The formation of biocide-resistant biofilms in industrial, natural and medical systems. Developments in Industrial Microbiology 25, 363–354Google Scholar
Galbraith, J. M. & Lofgren, K. L. (1987) Update on monitoring microbial corrosion in Prudhoe Bay's produced water and seawater floods. Materials Performance 26, 42–49Google Scholar
Holt, J. G., Kreig, N. R., Sneath, P. H. A., Staley, J. T. & Williams, S. T. (1994) Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 9th edn. Philadelphia, PA: Williams and WilkinsGoogle Scholar
Mah, T. C. & O'Toole, G. A. (2001) Mechanisms of biofilm resistance to antimicrobial agents. Trends in Microbiology 9, 34–39CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Massaro, C., Rotolo, P., De Riccardis, F., Milella, Napoli, E. A., Wieland, M., et al. (2002) Comparative investigation of the surface properties of commercial titanium dental implants. Part I: Chemical composition. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine 13, 535–548Google ScholarPubMed
Melo, L. F. & Pinheiro, M. M. (1992) Biofouling in heat-exchangers. In Biofilms – Science and Technology, pp. 449–510. Edited by Melo, L. F., Bott, T. R., Fletcher, M. & Capsdeville, B.. Amsterdam: Kluwer Academic PublishersCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schultz, R. W. (1991) A case for titanium's resistance to microbiologically influenced corrosion. Materials Performance 30, 58–61Google Scholar
Schultz, R. W. & Covington, L. C. (1981) Effect of oxide film on corrosion resistance of titanium. Corrosion 37, 585–591CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suzuki, A., Seiki, K. & Takei, T. (2005) High-performance condenser tube cleaning system featuring advanced ball collecting technology. Hitachi Review 54, 116–120Google Scholar
Wawer, C. & Muyzer, G. (1995) Genetic diversity of Desulfovibrio spp. in environmental samples analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of (NiFe) hydrogenase gene fragments. Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology 65, 2203–2210CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, W. L. (1970) Marine application of titanium. In The Science, Technology and Application of Titanium, pp. 1153–1160. Edited by Jaffee, R. I. & Promisel, N. E.. Oxford, London: Pergamon PressCrossRefGoogle Scholar