A Comparative Evaluation of Microbiologically Induced Corrosion Behaviors of 316L Austenitic and 2205 Duplex Stainless Steels Inoculated in Desulfovibrio vulgaris

Selecting appropriate materials is crucial for mitigating the severe economic and safety challenges posed by microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC) in marine and industrial settings. This study focuses on the MIC behavior of 316L austenitic stainless steel and 2205 duplex stainless steel that is caused by the metabolic activities of D. vulgaris during a life span of 7 days. Cell counts, weight loss, electrochemical measurements, and surface characterization were employed to evaluate the materials’ resistance to MIC. Specifically, 2205 DSS exhibited a 60% lower weight loss (0.02 vs. 0.05 mg/cm2), a 42% lower maximum pit depth (2.11 vs. 3.64 μm), and an orders-of-magnitude lower corrosion current density (0.094 vs. 2.0 μA cm−2) compared to 316L SS, demonstrating its superior resistance to D. vulgaris MIC. XRD and XPS analyses revealed that although FeS formed on both materials, FeS2—a thermodynamically stable deep-sulfidation product—was only present on 316L, indicating a more advanced corrosion stage. The absence of FeS2 on 2205 suggests limited sulfide corrosion progression. These findings confirm the advantage of duplex stainless steel in mitigating D. vulgaris-induced corrosion and provide insights into the selection of materials for MIC-prone environments.