Eco-friendly biofilm dispersion: Biosurfactant-metal complexes efficiently disrupt adhesion architecture of...

The aim of this study was to provide a new possibility to inhibit microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) and microbial resistance problems prevalent in the oilfield industry. The study focused on the preparation of composite nanoparticles by using rhamnolipids as stabilizers and doping them with copper-based nanoparticles and utilizing the functional synergy of both to inhibit the MIC. The antibacterial and corrosion inhibition properties of the prepared composites against mixed sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) enriched in oilfield production water were investigated. The antibacterial and corrosion inhibition effects of the composite nanoparticles were superior to those of the copper-based nanoparticles at the same concentration. Antibacterial experiments showed that the synthesized composites significantly inhibited the growth of SRB and disrupted their cellular structure. In corrosion inhibition experiments, an effective corrosion inhibition effect against SRB corrosion on X65 carbon steel corrosion was observed, with the corrosion inhibition rate reaching 75.3 %, the biofilm thickness was reduced by 75.4 %, and the depth of corrosion pits was reduced by 87.5 %. The corrosion inhibition mechanism mainly includes the synergistic destruction of cell structure by rhamnolipids and copper-based nanoparticles, which affects metabolic activities, reduces bacterial adhesion on the carbon steel surface and inhibits the formation of biofilm. Therefore, the composite have the potential to act as effective corrosion inhibitors.