Three Mathematical approaches

to address
Corrosion &Microbial corrosion

Dr. Reza Javaherdashti

Senior Advisor
Eninco Engineering B.V.
The Netherlands
 ORGANISATION OF THE TALK
1. Self-introduction
2. Definitions
2.1. Economic Importance of MIC
3. A Few Cases Histories
4. MIC and Some examples of CRB and CRA
5. Mathematical Models
5.1. Application of Fuzzy Calculus in Predicting MIC
5.2. Qualitative model of MIC
5.2.1. Methodology
5.2.2. Example for a given subsea pipeline system
5.3. Quantitate Mathematical approach towards MIC
(CAA model)

Summary and Conclusions

 1

Self-
Introduction
❖ Reza Javaherdashti
❖ PhD in Corrosion (MIC), Monash University,
Australia, Post-doctorate at Curtin University,
Australia
❖ Being involved in more than 400 corrosion
management projects world-wide
❖ Approved by ASME and SPE as corrosion(MIC)
lecturer with more than 5000 hours of experience
in designing and delivering successful training
courses
❖ Authored several research papers, Root cause
analysis reports and books
❖ Senior Advisor at Eninco Engineering B.V. (The
Netherlands) and Consultant on MIC projects for
renowned companies in Canada, The USA, The
UAE, Malaysia,….
Some books authored/co-authored by Dr. Reza Javaherdashti
 2

Definitions
MICROBIOLOGICALLY INFLUENCED CORROSION (MIC) IS A
TYPE OF CORROSION INITIATED , ENHANCED OR INHIBITED
BY, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, BACTERIA.

MANY MATERIALS INCLUDING METALS AND NON-METALS

(E.G., CONCRETE, AND POLYMERS) HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO
BE PRONE TO MIC

THE COST OF CORROSION IN INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES IS

ABOUT 4% OF THE GNP OF THE COUNTRY (GROSS NATIONAL
PRODUCT WHICH REFLECTS THE AVERAGE INCOME OF A
COUNTRY’S CITIZENS)

MIC IS REPORTED TO ACCOUNT FOR 20% OF ALL THE

DAMAGE CAUSED BY CORROSION
MICROBIOLOGICALLY INFLUENCED CORROSION (MIC) IS A
TYPE OF CORROSION INITIATED , ENHANCED OR INHIBITED
BY, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, BACTERIA.

MANY MATERIALS INCLUDING METALS AND NON-METALS

(E.G., CONCRETE, AND POLYMERS) HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO
BE PRONE TO MIC

THE COST OF CORROSION IN INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES IS

ABOUT 4% OF THE GNP OF THE COUNTRY (GROSS NATIONAL
PRODUCT WHICH REFLECTS THE AVERAGE INCOME OF A
COUNTRY’S CITIZENS)

MIC IS REPORTED TO ACCOUNT FOR 20% OF ALL THE

DAMAGE CAUSED BY CORROSION

I deliberately made a mistake here, can you pick it up?

 2.1.
Economic Importance
of MIC
 Engineering Importance of MIC

❖ Cost:
o In 1993, direct cost of MIC to US industries was
estimated to be $30 to $50 billion per year,
o In 2001, direct cost due to corrosive action of
SRB on US Industries was estimated $4 to 6$
billion annually
o In 2001, US oil and gas industries are estimated
to be suffering from a direct cost of MIC about
$2 billion.
o The US industries spend $1.2 billion annually on
biocides to chemically contain MIC.
(Source: X.Shi,N.Xie,J.Gong, ”Recent Patents in Corrosion Science”,1.118-131, 2011.)
 Engineering Importance of MIC

❖ Risk:
❑ In 2006, BP Exploration Alaska (BPXA) Inc.
experienced something which was quite
extraordinary: it was the spill of 200,000 gallons
(or 4,790 barrels) of oil through their Trans-
Alaskan (Prudhoe Bay Field) oil transit line. Just
because the line was literally everyday pigged
and there were a lot of corrosion monitoring
sensors on it, likelihood of MIC was ignored.
❑ Massive 2015 natural gas leak caused by
microbial corrosion
(source: https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/05/massive-2015-natural-gas-leak-
caused-by-microbial-corrosion-report-says/)
 3

A Few Case Histories

Contributors:

1)Dr. Reza Javaherdashti

2)Dr. Arezoo Assarian
3) Dr. Kiana Alasvand
4)Dr. Samanbar Permeh et al.,
5) Dr. Ajay K. Singh (HAG)
6) Dr. Vinko Šimunović et al.,
7) Dr. Tom Bos et al.,
8) D.Sc. Annelise Zeemann
9) Dr. Honghao Chen et al.,
10) Dr. Adam Johannes Johansson
11) Dr. N. Noël-Hermes
12) Dr. Tony Rizk
13) Mr. Jeremiah Gilbert
14) M.R. Hamedghafarian
15) Mr. Bhavin Panchal
REVERSE OSMOSIS (RO) UNIT
SEMI-PERMEABLE SPIRAL-SHAPED
POLYAMIDE MEMBRANES
Super Duplex Stainless Steel
Hydraulic Line
MIC/SCC
6 years
 STEEL PIPE
10.9-MM-THICK
VERTICAL STEEL PIPE

2 YEARS
STAINLESS STEEL AISI 316 TI (EN 1.4571)
WATER PIPELINE, WELDED JOINT
 MARTENSITIC STAINLESS STEEL
VALVE BODY

MIC-INDUCED PITTING AND CRACKS

BY HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT
 MILD STEEL PIPE
INDUSTRIAL WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

ACTIVITY OF SRB, IRB AND APB

 Failure thru Hydrotest

Brittle fracture during pipeline hydrotest due to a discontinuity in a longitudinal

weld.
 4

MIC and Some examples

of CRB and CRA
SRB

IRB
...BUT THIS IS NOT ALL!

GENERAL HETROTROPHIC BACTERIA/ARCHAEA, ACID –

PRODUCING BACTERIA/ARCHAEA, METANOGENS,
NITTRATE-REDUCING BACTERIA/ARCHAEA, SULPHUR
OXIDISING BACTERIA/ARCHAEA, SRB,SRA, NITRITE-
REDUCING M SULPHUR-OXIDISING BACTERIA (NR-SOB),
THIOSULPHATE REDUCING BACTERIA (TRB),
THIOSULPHATE REDUCING ARCHAEA (TRA),
THIOSULPHATE OXIDISING BACTERIA (TOB), ACETOGENIC
BACTERIA, SLIME-FORMING BACTERIA, FUNGI, ALGAE,
LICHEN, AND...
 5

Mathematical Models
 5.1.
Application of Fuzzy Calculus
in Predicting MIC
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts

For carbon steel, three following sets

are defined:

G={Gj} , j =1,2,3,…N
S={Si} , i = 1,2,3,…M
A={A(i)} , i = 1,2,3,…M
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts

For carbon steel, three following sets

are defined:

G={Gj} , j =1,2,3,…N
S={Si} , i = 1,2,3,…M
A={A(i)} , i = 1,2,3,…M

G measures all features of the

given carbon steel. These
properties can include CS’s
mechanical, physical and
chemical properties,
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts

For carbon steel, three following sets

are defined:

G={Gj} , j =1,2,3,…N
S={Si} , i = 1,2,3,…M
A={A(i)} , i = 1,2,3,…M

S measures all features of the

given carbon steel that will render
it resistant to MIC.
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts

For carbon steel, three following sets

are defined:

G={Gj} , j =1,2,3,…N
S={Si} , i = 1,2,3,…M
A={A(i)} , i = 1,2,3,…M

A measures fuzzy probability of

each member of the set G to
become a member of the set S
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts

For carbon steel, three following sets

are defined:
G={Gj} , j =1,2,3,…N
S={Si} , i = 1,2,3,…M
A={A(i)} , i = 1,2,3,…M
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts

Assume that there are various U universal features

that can favour resistance to microbial corrosion
of carbon steel by SRB and not necessarily be
related to each other. We may assume that for
each Gj , there is a feature such as K so that
K=1,2,3,..,U

FA(i,K)(Gj) = Prob (m(i,K) ≤ x(j,K) ≤ M(i,K) )

where K = 1,2,3, …, U , i = 1,2,3,…, M , j =

1,2,3,…, N
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts
Universal properties of SRB-containing
environment
Assume that there are various U universal features
that can favour resistance to microbial corrosion
of carbon steel by SRB and not necessarily be
related to each other. We may assume that for
each Gj , there is a feature such as K so that
K=1,2,3,..,U

FA(i,K)(Gj) = Prob (m(i,K) ≤ x(j,K) ≤ M(i,K) )

where K = 1,2,3, …, U , i = 1,2,3,…, M , j =

1,2,3,…, N
FA(i,k)(Gj), defines the fuzzy likelihood of an existing
universal feature such as K from the range of
universal features Gj to become an element of Si, to
resist microbial corrosion.
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts
Universal properties of IRB-containing
environment
Assume that there are various V universal features
that can resist MIC of carbon steel by IRB and not
necessarily be related to each other. We may
assume that for each Gj there is a feature such as
L so that L=1,2,3,…,V

FA(i,L)(Gj) = Prob (m(i,L) ≤ x(j,L) ≤ M(i,L) )

where L = 1,2,3,…, V , i = 1,2,3,…, M , j = 1,2,3,…,

N

FA(i,L)(Gj), defines the fuzzy likelihood of an existing l

feature such as L from the range of the universal
features Gj to become an element of Si, not suitable
for biofilm formation.
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts
Universal properties of SR+IRB
containing environment
We will define FA(i,T)(Gj) for W universal features in
a mixed SRB+IRB environment so for each Gj
there is a feature such as T so that T=1,2,3,…,V.

FA(i,T)(Gj) = Prob (m(i,T) ≤ x(j,T) ≤ M(i,T) )

where T = 1,2,3,…, V , i = 1,2,3,…, M , j = 1,2,3,…,

N
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts
Fuzzy Composite functions
❑So far, we defined fuzzy probability functions to
define resistance of carbon steel in environments
containing SRB (FA(i,K)(Gj)), IRB (FA(i,L)(Gj) ) and
mixed cultures of both SRB and IRB (FA(i,T)(Gj)).

❑ we need now to combine these fuzzy probability

function under a “Fuzzy Composite function”:
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts
Fuzzy Composite functions
❑So far, we defined fuzzy probability functions to
define resistance of carbon steel in environments
containing SRB (FA(i,K)(Gj)), IRB (FA(i,L)(Gj) ) and
mixed cultures of both SRB and IRB (FA(i,T)(Gj)).

❑ we need now to combine these fuzzy probability

function under a “Fuzzy Composite function”:
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts
Fuzzy Composite functions
Based on the above, we can now define the following
conditions:
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts
Fuzzy Composite functions

The previous slide addresses the probability for

microbial corrosion of carbon steel not to happen
in, respectively, SRB-containing environment, IRB-
containing environment and SRB+IRB-containing
environment in terms of coefficients (weights) ßK
,ßL and ßT .

Obviously, all of the ß values cannot exist at the

same time, in other words, when IRB-environment
is being considered (ßL), it is assumed that ßK=
ßT=0 and so on.
Fuzzy Model: Basic concepts
Fuzzy Composite functions
The fuzzy possibilities will then be expressed as related to
the value of the related ß values.

For example, if ßK > ßL , this means that the SRB-containing

environment is less likely to cause corrosion of carbon steel
than the IRB-containing environment.

And if ßK < ßT, then SRB+IRB containing environment is

more likely to resist MIC to carbon steel than the SRB-
containing environment.
Fuzzy Model: Application Protocol
As a feature that can be assessed, we will consider the
mechanical strength of carbon steel in SRB-containing, IRB-
containing and SRB+IRB-containing environmnets.

To measure this property (mechanical strength of carbon

steel in these three environments), we will apply Slow strain
rate testing (SSRT)
Fuzzy Model: Application Protocol
As an important part of the composite function, was the ß
value, that can be arbitrarily defined as a dimensionless
number as below:

The value of ß will be proportional to the fuzzy probability of

corrosion resistance of Carbon steel in a given bacterial
environment.
Fuzzy Model: Validation
Carbon Steel samples were tested in environments
containing only SRB, only IRB and a mixture of both

The testing methodology for describing mechanical

strength of Carbon steel to these environments was
via SSRT.
Fuzzy Model: Validation
A typical behaviour of carbon steel in these environments
was as below:
Fuzzy Model: Validation
Fuzzy Model: Validation

A typical behaviour of carbon steel in these environments

was as below:

68%

69%
82%
 5.2.
Qualitative model of MIC
Qualitative model of MIC is based on
our interpretation of
the Schouten-Gellings (S-G) model
 5.2.1.
Methodology
 Procedure
1. Prepare a questionnaire in which you ask
questions about “usefulness” and “frequency
of use” of each of the five anti-corrosion
measures,
2. Ask at least 3 experts in the field about their
interpretation regarding the questions asked,
3. Rank/give weights to their responses,
4. Apply the mathematical methodology
5. Calculate Corrosion Protection Factor (C.P.F.)
 Five major anticorrosion measures

1.Physical measures (Coating)

2.Chemical measures (Corrosion inhibitors,
biocides)
3. Electrical measures (Cathodic/Anodic Protection)
4. Metallurgical measures (Materials selection such
as use of CRA instead of CS)
5. Design measures
 Questionnaire
Cathodic Protection:
Coating:
Mathematical Methodology
Corrosion Protection Factor (C.P.F)

For each i, X i
NACE RP0775-
2005

General
Localised
Corrosion Corrosion Severity C.P.F Range
Corrosion
mpy )NACE Convention( Convention
mpy

Less than 1 Less than 5 Low Above 80

1-4.9 5-7 Moderate 80-40

5-10 8-15 High 40-30

Above 10 Above 15 Severe 20-10

 5.2.2.
Example for a given subsea
pipeline system
 Name of the “Weight” of the
Method Usefulness(f)
method method (j) (Out of 3)
Optimistic )3( Optimistic (Always)
Cathodic
X1 Protection
Conservative)2( Conservative (Sometimes)
Pessimistic)3( Pessimistic (Always)
Optimistic (Always),
Optimistic )3(
Conservative (Sometimes)
X2 Coating Conservative )1(
Pessimistic (Always)
Pessimistic)3(
Optimistic )1( Optimistic (Often)
Corrosion
X3 Allowance
Conservative(3( Conservative(Always)
Pessimistic)1( Pessimistic (often)
Optimistic )3( Optimistic (Always)
Application of
X4 inhibitors
Conservative (2) Conservative (Always)
Pessimistic)3( Pessimistic (Often)
Optimistic )1( Optimistic(Always)
Application of
X5 Biocides
Conservative1( Conservative (Often)
Optimistic)4( Pessimistic(Never)
 Corrosion Protection Factor
(C.P.F (% that can be achieved
Optimistic 96.7
Conservative 65.70
Pessimistic 58.04
Average 73.5
 5.3.
Quantitate Mathematical
approach towards MIC
(CAA model)
Introduction to the Algorithm
For a buried pipe, three corrosion systems can
be defined:
System: Pipe itself (its material, its position
in soil, under cathodic protection,…)
Internal system: including the fluid inside
the pipe, and the lining material that may
have been used within the pipe
External system: including the soil around
the pipe and the coating that may have
beenused on the external side of the pipe
 2.2.Coating conditions
2.1.Soil conditions

1.2.Lining Conditions

1.1.Fluid Conditions

3.1.Pipe Conditions
Internal conditions ( i1 ) : fluid conditions ( j1.1 )
and lining conditions ( j1.2 ) for Danger list (SMG)D

j1.1 j1.2

1.1.1.
Fluid: water (0.25) 1.2.1. No lining (1)
Lining is polyurethane
1.1.2. Fluid with water (0.75) 1.2.2. (0.5)

Fluid Ave. temperature

1.1.3. suitable for Microbial 1.2.3. Lining is PVC (0.2)
growth (1.5)
Fluid Ave. Pressure Lining is a polymer other
higher than the pipe’s
1.1.4. 1.2.4. than polyurethane and
yield strength (0.5)
PVC (0.3)
Fluid Ave. pH suitable for
1.1.5. Microbial growth (0.5)
Fluid Ave. pH is NOT
1.1.6. neutral (0.5)

Fluid Ave. speed less

1.1.7. than 1.5 m/sec (1)

Fluid has Anaerobic

1.1.8. conditions (0.7)

Fluid has Aerobic

1.1.9. conditions (0.3)

 6  2
 Internal conditions ( I1 ) : fluid conditions ( J1.1 )
and lining conditions ( J1.2 ) for Control list (SMG)C

J1.1 J1.2

1.1.1 1.2.1
Inhibitor/Biocide is used in water (0.5) There is lining (1)

1.1.2. Inhibitor/Biocide is used in water 1.2.2

Lining is NOT polyurethane (0.5)
phase(1.5)

1.1.3. Fluid Ave. temperature is NOT suitable for 1.2.3 Lining is NOT pvc (0.2)

microbial growth (0.2)

1.1.4. Fluid Ave. Pressure is decreased if it is Lining is polymers other than pvc and
higher than the pipe’s yield strength (0.5) 1.2.4 polyurethane (0.3)

1.1.5. pH is adjusted to decrease microbial

growth (0.5)

1.1.6. pH is in accordance with the system’s

electrochemistry (0.5)

1.1.7. Fluid ave. speed is more than 1.5 m/sec

(1.3)

1.1.8 Anaerobic fluid has been aerated (0.75)

1.1.9. Aerated fluid has suitable level of oxygen

(0.25)

 6  2
Summary and Conclusions
1. MIC is quite a complex electrochemical corrosion process that makes it
quite suitable for applying mathematics such as but not limited to Fuzzy
calculus,

2. On the hand, it is also possible to define algorithms and methods that will
allow identify MIC within a context which is quite promising for preparing
softwares to predict risk of MIC,

3. In this presentation three models, one based on Fuzzy calculus, one based
on the model previously the Schouten-Gellings model as well as another
example of a model that has already been formatted as a soft ware.